Mai's Teacher
by pain17ification
Summary: The world could not maintain the peace that Naruto fought for in Jiraiya's memory. With a heavy heart, he forsakes his time & seals himself away in hopes of a peaceful future. What happens when a girl who wishes to express herself finds the sealed body of the Hero of the Flame, unleashes him, & learns from him? What will the future hold for the world? Grey/Strong Naruto! NaruMai
1. Chapter 1: World's End and Rebirth

Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the start of my newest story, "Mai's Teacher"! This story focuses on Naruto and Mai, but will also revolve around the Avatar canon. After this first chapter, no one but Naruto and Kyuubi will appear from the Naruto-verse unless they are in a flashback or something spiritually related. Naruto will also be OOC, but there will be a good reason.

AN1: I want to give major thanks to my sempai, sendicard! He was a major help in the development and processing of this story idea!

AN2: Happy New Year everyone! I just want to wish all of you a good start to this New Year!

Please note: pain17ification does not own the series Naruto or Avatar the Last AirBender

"Speech"

'_Thoughts'_

**"Higher Being Speech"**

**'_Higher Being Thoughts'_**

"_Jutsu_"

(Technique Translations)

Scene or Time Change/Chapter Name

Chapter 1: World's End and Rebirth

Disappointment was felt by a blonde man as he watched another battle ensue from his perch on top of a hill in Mizu no Kuni. His azure eyes watched on as shinobi pitted against shinobi and blood painted the battlefield a deep crimson. Ever since the end of the Fourth Shinobi War, tensions had once again begun to rise between the Shinobi Villages of the Elemental Nations. It didn't even take more than ten years before the tensions grew into skirmishes and the skirmishes grew into full-blown battles. It was pathetic really; how easy it was to get caught up in another war so soon.

Naruto Uzumaki sighed as he kept observing the battle between Kirigakure and Kumogakure. Ever since the loss of Ay, the Yondaime Raikage, and Kirabi, the Hachibi Jinchuriki, Kumo had lost much of its military strength. They had noticed that Kiri had gotten noticeably stronger ever since the Bloodline Wielders returned to their old home in the mist. The Godaime Raikage was an unknown man who attained the seat through bribes and blackmail. He had decided that the need for restoring Kumo's military strength would be easily fulfilled by capturing and breeding any of the Bloodline Wielders they could capture.

Kiri wasn't without loss though. Mei, the Godaime Mizukage, had fallen in combat. In fact, all of the previous Kage except for Gaara the Godaime Kazekage and Tsunade the Godaime Hokage had lost their lives in the war as they faced off against the revived body of the Uchiha Ancestor, Madara.

Naruto took this time of silent observation to think back towards the Fourth War. The war itself was issued by an Uchiha by the name of Obito, a teammate of Kakashi Hatake and student of Minato Namikaze. Obito Uchiha had assumed the role of Madara and fooled everyone into believing that he was the Uchiha ancestor before he was revealed to be an impostor of the man. Others knew Obito as Tobi, the fool of the Akatsuki, who used his idiocy as a façade to hide his true role as puppet-master of the dark organization.

Obito's identity had finally been unveiled when he was in the middle of battle against Naruto, Kakashi, Maito Gai, and Kirabi. Both Naruto and Kirabi had the support of their respective Bijuu, Kurama the Kyuubi and Gyūki the Hachibi, during the battle and utilized their abilities to the fullest. Kirabi fought in his Full Bijuu Form while Naruto used what he dubbed his Kyuubi Sennin Mode and the six of them were able to give Obito a hard time. Unfortunately, the revived Madara appeared in the middle of the battle after killing three Kage and incapacitating the other two and began to fight alongside Obito. Madara went to fight the two Jinchuriki while Obito stayed to fight Kakashi and Gai.

Naruto used every tactic, every jutsu, and every trick he had in his fight against Madara but was only able to barely keep up with him. Even with Kirabi assisting him, it was a long and bitter fight. Madara had used his ultimate Mangekyou Sharingan (Kaleidoscope Mirror Wheel Eye) technique _Susano'o_ (Tempestuous God of Valor) to fight both Jinchuriki defensively and offensively at the same time. It was only by sheer dumb luck that Naruto was able to get the drop on the Uchiha. While Kirabi distracted him with a _Bijuu Dama_ (Tailed-Beast Bullet), Naruto had pulled out a special seal tag provided by the Fuinjutsu Dept. of the Shinobi Alliance. The tag was meant to cut the connection between Kabuto and the people revived by the _Edo Tensei_ (Impure Resurrection) technique.

Kurama warned Naruto that the connection between Kabuto and Madara was no longer there and that he would have to pump the fox's youki (demonic energy) into the seal in order to give it a higher chance to work. As soon as Madara was forced out of his _Susano'o_ by the _Bijuu Dama_, Naruto poured all of his chakra into his speed to appear in front of the Uchiha in a yellow flash; similar to how his father did in the past. He then slapped the seal tag on the undead Uchiha's torso, pumped as much of Kurama's youki into it as he could, and activated the _Tamashī no Maisō Fuiin_ (Burial of the Soul Seal) in hopes of finally putting Madara to rest for good.

At first Madara believed that the seal would fail; however when he felt his soul leaving the body it had currently inhabited, he realized that the youki was cutting off his chakra used to resist the seal by corroding his chakra coils. Before succumbing to his fate, Madara congratulated the blonde before using the remainder of his strength to have his _Susano'o_ fire an arrow covered in the black flames of _Amaterasu_ (Illuminating Heaven) at Kirabi. The unexpected attack struck the rapping Jinchuriki in his heart while in his Full Bijuu Form and began to engulf him in its undying black flames. Naruto watched on in horror as the man he both respected and befriended slowly burnt to death by the dark flames.

"How does it feel, Jinchuriki, to win this fight at the cost of another of your kind? This victory may be yours, but it will always be remembered as a hollow victory for you," Madara taunted before succumbing to the _Tamashī no Maisō Fuiin_.

The rest of the war was nothing but a blur for Naruto as the only thing he truly remembered after that fight was allowing Kurama to take full control of his body. After that, he remembered nothing else but rage for the loss of a dear friend. Kurama had explained that while he was in control, he was able to utilize all of his biju abilities and some that Naruto was unable to handle at the time. The war had ended when Kurama/Naruto fired what Kurama had called the _Zettai no Bijuu Dama_ (Absolute Tailed-Beast Bullet) at Obito which Kakashi aided by using the remainder of his chakra to engulf it in a _Kamui_ (Authority of the Gods) while Obito tried to use his own to make his body intangible. The result was Obito's body and the Gedō Mazō (Demonic Statue of the Outer Path) being engulfed and obliterated by the technique which started the chain of events leading to the end of the war. With their leader dead, the Zetsu clones didn't know what to do and were overwhelmed by the Shinobi Alliance.

However, Kakashi had lost his life performing his final _Kamui_ and Konoha mourned the loss of a great shinobi as well as the many other shinobi that they had lost. Those included were Rock Lee, Shino Aburame, and Genma Shiranui.

It was still unknown what happened to Sasuke, the reborn Orochimaru, and Team Taka after the end of the war. They had laid low over the years and no one had even heard rumors of their whereabouts. It surprised everyone, especially Naruto's other teammate Sakura Haruno, that Naruto did not really care about Sasuke's disappearance; but he paid their surprise no mind. He had stopped planning to bring the Uchiha back during the war and figured that as long as Sasuke didn't choose to harm any of his precious people, then he wouldn't worry about the vengeful Uchiha.

After the battle, Naruto had scoured the many battlefields for any survivors and was pleased to see that his friend Anko had not only survived, but had her _Juin_ (Cursed Seal) removed. He was surprised at this discovery, as was Anko, but the woman was far too elated to care about details. Anko was finally free of her ex-mentor's influence and had surprised everyone by kissing Naruto in her moment of sheer joy. The reason why it was Naruto was because he was the one who had found her unconscious body and brought her back to Konohagakure. Of course, the kiss was just a spur of the moment action and the two remained nothing more than very close friends.

Naruto shook out of his reminiscing before he activated his Kyuubi Sennin Mode. "Another day, another issue to settle…" he sighed.

**"Indeed it is, Kit,"** agreed the fox inside the blonde's seal as its host entered the fray.

To the participants of the skirmish, Naruto was nothing more than an orange flicker as he took down battling shinobi left and right. To a spectator, it was like watching a bright orange flame move through the battle while countless shinobi were knocked aside. It was truly a sight to behold.

As self appointed 'peacekeeper' of the Elemental Nations, Naruto made it his duty to find peaceful ways to end disputes between the Hidden Villages. Of course, the job was far from easy and most of the time Naruto had to end the disputes forcefully; meaning that he would enter a battle and take down _both_ sides. He avoided killing them and settled for incapacitating; however his message to end the fighting was still given to both sides. Naruto knew that the idea of 'peace' was becoming an empty dream at this point and decided that after this dispute, he would retire as a shinobi go into a self-imposed exile.

After all, one could only take so much stress before finally deciding that enough was enough. Plus, Naruto had one final plan in mind for the Elemental Nations.

Hokage's Office (1 week later)

Tsunade was busy with her never-ending battle against paperwork. Over the years, she still did not discover the secret to defeating it and it pissed her off tremendously. She was interrupted by a knock on her door and she inwardly thanked Kami for the distraction. Once she cleared the knocker to come in, the door opened to reveal Naruto.

Naruto had changed over the years and the changes were seen positively in the eyes of the villagers. He wore a pair of black ANBU style boots, maroon cargo pants, a black karate gi shirt with the sleeves torn off, had bandages covering from his fingers to his elbows, and his old Gama Sennin cloak. He also wore a straw hat with small bells like the Akatsuki used to wear, and constantly had a senbon in his mouth like the Jonin Genma had. Because of the hat, his hiate (headband) was wrapped around his left bicep which allowed his wild blonde hair to slightly cover his eyes. His hair was a blend of his father's and Jiraiya's having his father's bangs and his godfather's ponytail. Many wondered why Naruto chose this as his attire, and the reason was so that he could never forget the ordeals that he went through or the precious people that he lost.

"Naruto, it's good to see you gaki. What do you need from me?" questioned the blonde Kage. _'He still looks so young compared to everyone else,'_ she thought to herself.

True to her observation, Naruto appeared to have only aged by about one year. He assumed that Kyuubi was responsible since he still felt healthy, if not healthier. When brought to her attention years back, she was surprised to see that his body had seemed to stop aging due to the fox's youki. It wasn't a total stop though; just a seriously slowed aging process. If she had to guess, Naruto would appear to age one year for every ten years that passed naturally.

Naruto sighed before stating, "Baa-chan, I ready to retire as a shinobi of Konoha."

Tsunade was shocked at his request. "W-Why would you want to do that? I mean, wasn't it your dream to become Hokage of the Leaf one day? You can't become Hokage if you're retired, Naruto!"

Naruto merely gave her a blank stare at her outburst. "I've given up on that dream years ago, baa-chan. I let dozens of people rush to their deaths just for my sake and they'll continue to do so if I become Hokage. I don't want their deaths weighing on my conscience, so I gave up that dream. What I want to do now is explore kaa-san's old home; the ruins of Uzushiogakure."

"I can easily allow you to do that and you can still remain a shinobi!" she countered in hopes that he'd change his mind. She couldn't deny that his reasons for abandoning his dream were completely reasonable, but she refused to see him give up being a shinobi; the one thing that he enjoyed doing the most.

"I'm not just gonna visit Uzu, baa-chan; I'm gonna restore it." He saw the surprise on her face and elaborated. "I want to go back to my roots as an Uzumaki and see if there is anything worth scavenging. After that, I plan to slowly rebuild Uzu and restore its old prestige as a Shinobi Nation. However, I can't do that as a _Konoha_ shinobi, so I've decided to retire. Besides, all of the constant arguments and disagreements between the other nations have really worn me out and I can't handle it for much longer. If this keeps up, I might lose my mind and snap. Please baa-chan, just let me retire and go home," he pleaded.

Tsunade was depressed that he called a place he had never seen his home besides Konoha and was torn at her godson's request. He was well overdue for a visit to Uzu and she had planned on taking him there, but she was constantly busy with her duties as Kage of the Leaf. Not only that, but the war had made her forget all about taking him there and him asking to retire had brought back that old plan to her thoughts. She also knew of his duties as 'peacekeeper' and how much of a toll they had taken on him over the years. She saw the slight bags under his eyes from his stress and knew that he needed a rest. Perhaps retirement was the best alternative for her godson.

She sighed sadly before she stated, "Alright Naruto, I'll give you the retirement forms as well as clearance papers to leave Konoha. No one will be able to stop you from leaving. But Naruto is this really what you want? What about the rest of the Rookie 11? I'm sure they'll miss you if you go."

Naruto smiled sadly at that comment. "They all have their own lives and futures to deal with, baa-chan. They all have families to care for and I can't place myself back into their lives after not even seeing them for at least two years. And don't say it hasn't been that long, because you know it has," he asserted when he noticed that she was about to interrupt. "The point is that they don't need me in their lives anymore and the village doesn't need me either. They haven't needed me for over two years, and it won't change a thing if I leave for good."

"Yes it will; the village will lose its ray of sunshine that brought me back," Tsunade said sadly with tears threatening to leave her eyes.

Naruto frowned at that before he walked over to her and enveloped her in a warm hug. She was initially surprised at his actions before she returned the embrace and shed a single tear. She would miss her godson terribly and she knew Shizune would as well. Shizune and Naruto had a sibling relationship that seemed to outdo relationships between even blood siblings. Everyone could see how close they were during their interactions around the village. She was currently working her shift at the hospital and would be devastated once she heard the news of Naruto retiring.

After they separated from the hug, Tsunade pulled out the retirement forms and a pass to leave Konoha. Naruto quickly filled out the forms, handed them to Tsunade in exchange for the pass, and gave her one last hug before he left her office. Once he was outside the door, Tsunade shed one more tear at his departure.

"Good luck Naruto," she whispered to the empty office.

With Naruto

The blonde was currently heading for his apartment complex for the last time. Many people who saw him in the village paid him no mind and just went about their business. Even if Naruto was revered as the 'Hero of the Flame', there were some who still gave him nothing more than a passing glance. He was just about to pass Ichiraku Ramen before he stopped and decided to say his farewells to the father/daughter duo.

He entered the stand to see it looking the same as it always had; the large counter, many stools, and few customers that were finishing up their bowls of noodles. He smiled softly at the many memories he had in this very stand with Iruka, Jiraiya, and the two Ichiraku chefs.

Speaking of the Ichiraku duo, Ayame noticed him enter and gave him a wide smile before running around the counter and enveloping him in a hug. He returned the happy embrace while offering a smile in greeting to Teuchi who was observing them from behind the counter.

After releasing him, Ayame said, "It's so good to see you again, Naruto-kun! It's been too long!"

"It's good to see you too, Ayame-chan. However, this isn't just a social visit. There's something I have to tell you and Teuchi-Jiji." The two were curious about what he had to say but they merely waited for him to speak. Naruto gave them a sad smile before he dropped the bomb. "I retired as a Konoha shinobi and am leaving the village…For good."

Teuchi and Ayame were shocked at his statement. "Why did you do that, Naruto?" questioned Teuchi.

"I did it because I'm returning to my kaa-san's home village, Uzu. I plan to rebuild it and have it flourish as a Shinobi Village once again."

Ayame was surprised at that before she smiled sadly to him. "You always were one to dream big Naruto-kun, but what about becoming Hokage? Did you give up on that?"

He nodded before replying, "The village doesn't need me; they haven't for over two years now. Besides, rebuilding my home is more important to me right now."

Teuchi frowned slightly. "You never saw this place as home, did you son?"

Naruto sighed at the question. "Not completely, old man. I know that you and all of the people I've come to love will always be seen as family in my eyes, but this place just never felt like home. I can't explain it other than feeling a sense of longing whenever I bring up Uzu into a conversation. It's like I feel homesick or something…"

Teuchi nodded while Ayame smiled. "I completely understand, Naruto. You're feeling your ancestral home calling for you, the last of the Uzumaki. Your mother always mentioned about being homesick as well, but she grew to see Konoha as home eventually. I guess it's merely the opposite with you, huh?" asked the ramen chef.

Naruto chuckled at that. "Yea, I guess it is. Well, that was all I wanted to say, so this is goodbye." Ayame quickly gave him another hug while Teuchi placed a comforting hand on the blonde's shoulder. "I promise that I won't forget you guys. You were the first people I ever saw as family after all."

Naruto then separated from them, said one final goodbye, and left the stand. Ayame shed a couple tears but quickly wiped them away as Teuchi thought, _'There goes a man destined for incredible things.'_

Naruto had reached his apartment a couple minutes after leaving the stand and packed away the essentials inside of a small sealing scroll. He then lifted up a small carpet that held a seal on the floorboard before he deactivated the seal. The seal then released the bindings on the floorboard and Naruto pulled out a single scroll that was from his late mother, Kushina. The scroll merely gave the location of Uzu and a brief insight on what the Uzumaki specialized in. The Uzumaki Clan was famous for one thing: fuinjutsu; and they were greatly feared and respected for it. Unfortunately, it was the fear of what the clan could have become that set off its destruction from Kumo and Iwa in the past. However, Naruto held no grudges since he did not live in the time of the clan.

After putting the scrolls into his pocket, he took one last look at his "home" and reminisced about the nights he spent alone as a child. He shook his head out of those depressing thoughts as he began heading for the main gates to leave. Suddenly, he tensed and caught a kunai heading for his cheek. He then felt a familiar weight on his back and gave a small grin. "Nice of you to see me off, Anko."

Said kunoichi smirked as she got off of him before giving a playful pout. "What's the deal with you not telling me you were leaving, Foxy?"

"I only told baa-chan and the Ichiraku family goodbye. I was actually hoping to avoid saying it to anyone else altogether."

Anko's fake pout turned real at that. "Not even me? I thought we were close, gaki?"

"We are, but saying goodbye to those three was hard enough as it was. Saying it to anyone else would have been too much." He then gave her a small smile and added, "If it's any consolation, you would have been one of the first I'd have said it to."

Anko returned the smile and said, "Yea, I can live with that. Are you sure about this though? I thought you had big dreams here?"

Naruto shook his head at her questions. "Not anymore. My future plans revolve around Uzu and restoring it." He then embraced her one last time and teased, "Try not to drive the people too crazy when I'm gone."

Anko smiled at that as she returned the embrace. "No promises, Naruto." After releasing him, she gave him one last smirk and warned, "Don't lose your edge, Foxy. You never know when I'll see you again. And when I do, I expect you to still be in top form."

Naruto chuckled at her antics. "I'll do my best, Anko. Goodbye…" he said before he walked through the gates and left the village. Anko's smirk turned into a sad smile as she silently wished her friend good luck before she left for home.

Nami no Kuni (Land of Waves) 2 weeks later

It took Naruto only a couple days to reach Nami and he happily got reacquainted with the people there. They were all excited to see their hero return and were more than happy to welcome him. He spent the remainder of the week trying to have someone take him as close to Uzu as they could on a boat. He was in luck and found one by the end of the week, but he decided to stay for one more just to relax. He was retired after all, so he could take his time getting home.

The week of R&R was mainly spent in the company of Tazuna's family. His daughter Tsunami welcomed Naruto like a son who hadn't been home in years while Inari was glad to have his nii-san back in Nami. Naruto told them stories of the war and the years that followed and the three were surprised that the Shinobi Alliance had turned on each other so quickly. They also agreed that Naruto needed a break from constantly being the mediator of the disputes between villages. It saddened them that he talked about his experiences like a veteran past his prime instead of a young man.

Naruto thoroughly enjoyed his time in Nami, but he knew that he had to get a move on. After saying his goodbyes to the people of Nami, he left for Uzu on the boat he rented. The boat ride ended up taking a couple days before they stopped a few miles away from the coast. According to the boat driver, the boat couldn't go any further due to the whirlpools surrounding the island. Naruto thanked the man and paid him before he stepped onto the water and began walking to the shore. Due to his Uzumaki blood, the whirlpools calmed when he neared them and resumed their torrents when he passed them.

Once Naruto stepped onto the shore, he gazed upon the ruins of his home and smiled sadly. _'I'm home, kaa-san. And now, I've got a lot of work to do.'_

Naruto started off by searching through the ruins for anything worth scavenging. His _Kage Bunshin_ (Shadow Clones) technique was immensely helpful in searching the ruins. In the span of two hours, the entire village, except the Uzukage Office, had been searched and Naruto was lucky enough to find two scrolls, a medallion, and a trapdoor in one of the collapsed buildings.

The scrolls were on Raiton (Lightning Element) techniques and fuinjutsu. Naruto was glad that he had discovered during the years after the war that he had a secondary affinity to lightning giving him affinities for Fuuton (Wind Element) and Raiton jutsu. The scroll seemed like it was Kami's way of welcoming him home. The techniques were B to A-Rank jutsu but there were only 3 total jutsu that were readable in the scroll; two B-Ranks and one A-Rank. He would work on them later.

The fuinjutsu scroll was actually a scroll for adept to master fuinjutsu users which suited Naruto just fine. He had taken up the intricate art of fuinjutsu during his time away from the village and was a natural with them. He assumed it was his Uzumaki blood and left it at that. The teachings in the scroll were damaged slightly from the village's destruction, but it was still perfectly usable.

The medallion was silver with a ruby gem in the center. Naruto and Kurama both noticed that there were seal arrays on the medallion that protected it from damage as well as stored chakra into the gem. Naruto smirked at the thought of restoring his chakra quickly with the seal. He wondered if he could store some of Kurama's youki in it as well, but he would test it later.

As for the trapdoor, it led to an underground bunker for the Uzumaki. Naruto was surprised with the discovery and wondered if there were other Uzumaki survivors besides his mother and Nagato. He searched the bunkers, only to find blood smears along the walls and decaying skeletons on the ground. Naruto shed a tear for the deaths of his ancestors and silently vowed to restore their honor.

During his searching, he came across a small _Chi Fuiin_ (Blood Seal) along the wall and offered the blood required to it. The seal glowed before the wall in front of him separated and revealed a hidden office to the blonde. Naruto stepped inside to see that the office had remained untouched. There were scrolls on a shelf and what looked to be plans for a seal that was labeled _Gyakusetsu Fuiin_ (Paradox Seal). Apparently, the seal was meant to place someone in a state of suspended animation until someone that met the seal's requirements removed it. While under the effects of the seal, one was supposed to age at a far slower rate and the seal would also keep the body's health in the condition it started off with when using the seal.

Naruto was impressed with the plans and sealed them away in a separate scroll so that he could attempt to finish it. He then searched the other scrolls and saw that they were more lessons on fuinjutsu, but these were for Master Sealers. Master Sealers were practitioners of fuinjutsu that had enough experience to use seals for practically anything. Based on the scrolls, Naruto deduced that the idea of the _Gyakusetsu Fuiin_ was thought up by at least a few Master Sealers.

After emptying the office, Naruto searched the rest of the bunker but found nothing else. As he left, he placed multiple _Bakudan Fuiin_ (Bomb Seals) to destroy the bunker and the skeletons within. Naruto wished the souls a peaceful rest as he activated the seals and destroyed the bunker.

The last building Naruto had to check was the Uzukage's Office. He had his clones avoid that building mainly because he wanted to search it himself. Once he stepped inside the office, he saw that it was mainly ashes and dust. He silently cursed Iwa and Kumo before he began looking through the ashes. He didn't find anything solid in the office, but he did find another _Chi Fuiin_ on the floor. When he released the seal, he pulled out a small scroll and saw that it was a final letter written by the last Uzukage.

The letter read: _To the Uzumaki who finds this, I regret to say that I have failed in defending our home. Uzushiogakure was a thriving village full of life and peace. We meant no harm to any of the other Shinobi Nations and tried to reason with them, but they were too stubborn and paranoid to see reason. Uzu is most likely destroyed by now, but I'm sure you can rebuild. There will always be the Village of Uzu if there is but a single Uzumaki alive. Remember this, for I assume you are all we have left of our once great clan._

_Farewell; Arashi Uzumaki, the Nidaime Uzukage._

Naruto reread the letter twice before he sighed and turned his gaze to the ruined village. _'There will always be the Village of Uzu… I suppose it's time to prove the statement is true.'_

And with that, Naruto summoned his _Kage Bunshin_ and began the long process of rebuilding his home.

2 years later

As he thought, the rebuilding of Uzu took quite a while. It took at least half a year to remove the rubble and dispose of it into the many whirlpools surrounding the island while it took the remaining year and a half to rebuild. Naruto wasn't alone though and enlisted the help of Tazuna and the people of Nami who wished to migrate to the rebuilding nation.

Naruto accepted their request to stay with open arms and the people worked tirelessly to restore the once beautiful village. By the end of two years, Uzu had been reborn as a beautiful nation while the land of Nami was used as an outpost for trades and goods. Naruto was appointed as Uzukage, even though he felt he wasn't worthy, while he set up a small council that he called 'Shiro Renge (White Lotus)'. It was named so because it was the rarest flower of Uzu and its beauty was unmatched.

Naruto had also enlisted the old members of Jiraiya's spy network as honorary members of the Shiro Renge and had them give him updates on the other villages. The last thing he did in preparation of the village was set up an alliance with the one man he saw as a brother; Subaku no Gaara. Sunagakure was more than happy to agree to the alliance with Uzu and Naruto was pleased with their acceptance.

The Kages had met in Nami to solidify the alliance as well as allow Naruto and Gaara to catch up. Gaara was impressed with his brother's current success and determinedly stated that their alliance would hold strong. After they went their separate ways, Naruto contacted some old acquaintances of his to set up more alliances and promote good relations.

The nations chosen were Ame, Yuki, Oni, Hoshi, and the Nadeshiko Village and they all accepted the alliance with Naruto. It slightly surprised the blonde when he received word that the Priestess of Oni, Shion, had met another to help her keep the Priestess Line alive, but he was happy that she still accepted the alliance.

In exchange for some advanced seals made by Naruto, they offered supplies, technology from Yuki, and some shinobi from the villages to increase Uzu's own shinobi force. After all, one lone shinobi is definitely not enough to be counted as a Shinobi Village; even if the single shinobi is Naruto.

It seemed as though things were looking up for the future. However, Naruto would soon see that the future would turn drastic.

18 years later (Uzu)

Naruto was currently holding off a battalion of soldiers from an alliance between Iwa and Kumo. It stunned him how history had seemed to replay itself since the two villages feared Uzu's rapid growth in force and alliances. He was also caught completely off guard by the invasion force. Apparently the Shiro Renge members that were stationed in Iwa and Kumo were discovered and killed.

Naruto cursed as he activated a defensive seal that released multiple Katon (Fire Element) jutsu against the forces and activated his Kyuubi Sennin Mode. Using his speed, he began decimating the forces left and right while the Katon Seals distracted them. He was determined to defend his home and was able to hold them all off easily while his shinobi rallied behind him and prepared to defend their home and their leader.

Suddenly, a giant arrow made of dark chakra was fired towards the group and Naruto defended them with a well-timed _Bijuu Rasengan_ (Tailed-Beast Spiral Sphere). When the dust created from the clash cleared, Naruto was shocked to see Sasuke, Team Taka with the exception of Karin, and Orochimaru standing in front of the dual forces.

Naruto glared at the Uchiha in rage and yelled, "Sasuke, what are you doing to Uzu?!"

Sasuke smirked at Naruto and responded, "What does it look like, dobe? I'm taking away everything you hold dear just like your old village did to me!"

"I left Konoha, teme! I'm no longer a part of it!"

"That may be, but you used to be. It doesn't matter though, seeing as how we've already destroyed it."

Naruto froze at the Uchiha's statement. "What do you mean? Why would you destroy the Leaf, Sasuke?!"

"Because they deserved it, that's why! Konoha is filled with nothing but worthless fools who feared the Uchiha and their potential." He then chuckled darkly before he confirmed, "I guess their fear was justified since I wiped out that pathetic excuse of a village."

Naruto shook with rage at that statement. He couldn't believe what he was hearing, and yet he also could believe it. He knew Sasuke wasn't lying, but he didn't want to believe it. His resolve set, Naruto activated one last seal that the enemy was closest to.

"I suppose the promise I made to Sakura no longer matters anymore… Goodbye Sasuke… _Fuinjutsu: Banshi Fuiin_ (Sealing Art: Certain Death Seal)!"

The ground beneath the enemy forces glowed in the design of a massive rune circle colored blood red while Naruto activated another seal.

"Get behind me!" he ordered his people before he cried out, "_Fuinjutsu: Jinsei Tate Fuiin_ (Sealing Art: Life Shield Seal)!"

Just like the seal under the enemy, a rune circle appeared under the people of Uzu. However, this circle was colored a golden yellow color. The circles expanded and trapped both forces in their respective zones with no means of escape. They inched closer and closer to one another while the people under the _Banshi Fuiin_ tried desperately to break out using any jutsu or technique they knew. Sasuke's _Susano'o_ wasn't even enough to break through it much to the Uchiha's surprise and rage.

As soon as the rune circles were about to touch, Naruto said to Sasuke, "I hope you enjoy your stay in hell, teme."

After his final statement, the circles finally touched and caused an explosion of incredible proportion that obliterated everyone and everything not within the _Jinsei Tate Fuiin_. The smoke from the explosion rose up and gained what appeared to be a mushroom shape in the air while the shockwave from the technique blew back everything. The protective seal held strong though, and after about fifteen minutes of waiting, it finally dispelled itself and revealed the aftermath of the explosion.

Uzu was once again destroyed, but there were no ruins at all this time. It was all gone and Naruto grew sorrowful at what his creations had done. With a heavy heart, he turned to the people who had faithfully followed him and whispered, "I'm sorry…" before he disappeared in a flash of yellow. The people of the once rebuilt Uzu would never see their Sandaime Uzukage again.

70 years later (Konoha Ruins)

A now 116 year old Naruto, though he only appeared to be 26, stared out towards the ruins of Konoha like he had done during his self-appointed exile from Uzu. He knew that the world did not need Jinchuriki any longer since they brought nothing but chaos and destruction to the world and he believed that he was to blame for the world's downfall.

He hadn't changed much during his exile. He mainly looked much more mature and battle-hardened due to defending the home of his deceased friends and other precious people. Upon returning to the destroyed village of Konoha, he spent a great deal of time making makeshift graves for each person he could positively remember from his time in the village; the main ones being the Konoha shinobi he grew up with, Tsunade, Shizune, the Ichiraku chefs, and Anko.

His attire had changed once again during his time in the village remains. He kept his Sennin coat, wore a long-sleeved black shirt with a armored shoulder plate on his left side, blood red cargo pants with Konoha's symbol stitched to the sides in gold lettering, black ANBU boots, and the headband of Uzu wrapped around his left bicep. The most notable change was the blonde's hair. He never once cut it and it grew into a style very much like that of the Uchiha Patriarch, Madara (1). When asked why by his tenant, Naruto responded, "So I'll never forget the man who started it all. He turned Obito who in turn made Sasuke who he was before his death." Kyuubi respected that answer, but was still slightly unnerved by the new look.

Over the years, he had increased his skills in Fuuton, Raiton, and Fuinjutsu to unmatched levels and also learned Medical Jutsu to the point of being able to heal moderate wounds such as a broken bone. The Uzumaki also trained Kyuubi and Gama Sennin Modes to the point of gaining a high form of empathy. It enabled him to feel the energies of millions and stretch his senses for miles upon miles. He felt their anger, their despair, their anguish, and their destruction all throughout his exile, yet he stayed away. He would not interfere with the world and its problems anymore due to a new sense of apathy for the world and its constant destruction. How could he ever hope to care for a world that would not even save itself from its own destruction? No, his time as 'peacekeeper' ended decades ago…

Still though, living in a time where it was nothing but war and violence didn't seem too appealing to the seemingly immortal Jinchuriki. So he had been preparing for his 'nap', as Kurama endearingly labeled. The 'nap' would be initiated by the now completed _Gyakusetsu Fuiin_ being activated on Naruto. Since his aging was already slowed due to the Kyuubi, Naruto and the fox believed that the seal would slow it even further to the point of halting it altogether. This did not stop the fox from worrying about its container.

**"Kit, are you sure about this?"** the Kyuubi asked Naruto as the blonde readied the seal. The two were now currently under the ruined village in a cavern-like chamber that Naruto had filled with various seals. Having 100 years to study fuinjutsu had made him a Master unlike any other and it was his seals that brought the world's destruction.

'_Yes Kurama, I am sure. I've had 70 years to think this over and my mind's made up. This time does not need us, so we will wait and sleep until a time where we are needed arises,'_ Naruto mentally answered his tenant.

The Kyuubi sighed at its container's decision. It knew that Naruto had given up on this time, but the fox did not think that the blonde would actually seal himself away.** "Before you activate the seal, what are you going to have as the requirements to remove it?"**

Naruto was silent as he thought it over. After what had seemed like hours, he finally made his decision. _'The requirements to remove this seal will be that the remover must be strong-willed, they must have a pure soul, and they must have the blood of this time flowing through them. Only with those requirements will one be able to remove the seal.'_ He then activated the seals surrounding the cavern with the Kyuubi's youki, an action that confused the fox. Naruto decided to elaborate. _'Those seals will allow you to see those who enter this place. You will be the one who judges them Kurama since you are the better of the both of us at sensing the worth in people. Once they have your approval, the seal will be able to be removed.'_

**"How will I know when someone has entered?"**

'_Their blood must touch any part of the cavern. If their blood has the essence of this time flowing through it, then the seals will activate. Once it does, you will be able to see if they are worthy. I'm counting on you for this, Kurama.'_

The fox's gaze softened at its container. It was ironic that the being that caused Naruto so many problems in his life was the one being that he fully trusted.** "You can count on me…Naruto."**

Naruto smiled at the fox when he said his name. The Kyuubi only called him by name when he sympathized with Naruto and truly felt for him. He mentally held out his fist, which the fox bumped its own against, before stating, _'I know I can. I'll see you when I wake up.'_ Naruto then cut the mental connection before putting in the requirements for removal on the tag holding the _Gyakusetsu Fuiin_. After he finished, he placed the seal on his chest and whispered, "_Fuiin_ (Seal)!"

Once the seal had activated, the runes slowly spread around Naruto's body, save for his head, and covered it in a white substance that wrapped around him in a cocoon of sorts and attached itself to the wall behind him.

Unknown to him, the spirits of the world began their own plan to save the world by creating a bridge between their world and the mortal world. The being would be the replacement peacekeeper of the Child of Prophecy and would be known as 'The Avatar'.

And years later, the era of Benders had begun along with many changes to the once shinobi-filled world.

4997 years later (3 years before ATLA canon)

People never forgot about the age of shinobi, which was now known as the "Age of Chaos", or of the fabled "Hero of the Flame". Naruto's story was held in high regard by all nations and there were many who believed that he was still out there, no matter how impossible the idea seemed. Over the years after Naruto's sealing, people with the natural ability to use the elements of Air, Water, Earth, and Fire came into fruition. These people were called Benders, due to making the elements bend to their will. Unfortunately, these new abilities brought new ways to separate and destroy the world.

The people of the Air, the Air Nomads, were once a peaceful race. They lived in large temples and traveled the world on their flying bison. They were the most spiritual of all the cultures and lived in harmony with nature. They also were fun-loving people and had a strong sense of humor. The AirBenders utilized their talent over the air by drawing it out in circular motions as well as using it to evade their opponents. This reluctance for offensive techniques was due to their passive nature. Unfortunately, the peaceful people were victims of genocide at the start of Sozin's Hundred Year War while the current Avatar had disappeared without a trace.

The people of the Water were a respectable people and were known as the Water Tribes. They strived to live in harmony with nature and with the other nations of the world while using their Bending for protection and healing purposes. There were two primary groups of Water Tribes, the Northern and the Southern with some smaller tribes spread out around the world. However, it was hard for the main tribes to keep contact with one another due to being on polar opposites of the world. The Northern Tribe inhabited the North Pole while the Southern Tribe inhabited the South Pole. Their already difficult contact practically ended with the start of the war by Fire Lord Sozin.

The people of the Earth were vast in number, which allowed them to form the Earth Kingdoms. Proud and strong, the Earth Kingdom citizens adhered to a philosophy of peaceful coexistence and cooperation with the other nations of the world and used their Bending as a mix of stable defense and rough offense. They were also an ethnically diverse country, with wide variance in customs between different provinces and tribes. Out of all the nations attacked during Sozin's Hundred Year War, the Earth Kingdom suffered no serious casualties and still currently thrived as a nation.

The people of Fire, the Fire Nations, were the second-largest nation of the world in terms of population and area; second to the Earth Kingdom. They were passionate and had strong wills, which was the first source of their Bending. However, most found that using their rage and anger was an easier alternative to using FireBending and many have forgotten the old teachings. The Fire Nation's economy is the most powerful in the world, with a strong industrial sector and extensive technological developments. It was also known for its large, powerful military. It was Fire Lord Sozin who started the Hundred Year War by using a comet that increased FireBending exponentially. With the genocide of the Air Nomads, the separation of the Water Tribes, and the slight fear instilled into the Earth Kingdom, Sozin's War was off to a good start for the current Fire Lord, Ozai.

It is also in the Fire Nation where the start of the end of the war begins.

Ember Island

On the island resort, we find the children of Fire Lord Ozai and their two friends currently on the shore of the island. The children were Prince Zuko and Princess Azula and their friends were Ty Lee and Mai. The children were sent to the island while their parental figures were busy with their governmental schedules and issues. While Ty Lee was overly excited, the others were not as excited or not excited at all.

Zuko was currently playing kuai ball (2) with some other people while the girls were talking amongst one another.

"This place is so great! I can't wait to just relax and do nothing all day!" gushed a happy Ty Lee.

"Calm down Ty Lee, it's not worth that much excitement. Besides, I'd much rather be back at home and participate in father's war meetings," Azula stated with a small huff. She may have been the younger of the two between Zuko and herself, but she was a prodigy at FireBending and it showed with her fire slowly becoming hotter and changing color. She was fascinated with her father's war meetings and desperately wished to take part in one in the future.

Mai sighed in boredom over the group's 'vacation'. "I just want this trip to be over with. I don't understand how you guys can like this troublesome place so much, especially you Ty Lee." (3)

Ty Lee pouted cutely at her friend. "Oh come on Mai! You can't seriously be telling me that you aren't the least bit excited?"

Mai gave her a blank look and replied, "I can and I will." She then turned her gaze to the happy people having fun on the beach and expressing themselves. Her bored look turned to one of small envy at their expressiveness as she was unable to fully express herself due to her father's reputation as a governor. True, if she behaved she got whatever she wanted, but money and gifts only bought happiness to a certain point before it didn't matter anymore. She sighed again before standing up and stating, "I'm gonna take a walk. I'll be back."

Her two friends watched her leave, one not caring and one slightly concerned. However, the two decided to drop it and just enjoy the beach.

Mai was walking along the shore and getting steadily further away from the beach crowd. She didn't have a set destination in mind; she just wanted to walk and clear her head. She walked along the rock face of the island's cliff side and just kept to her thoughts about home. She loved her parents, but they were so controlling over her life and demanded her to act like a doll; unable to change expression from what she was manufactured to be. She was brought out of her thoughts by a small gust of wind passing by her and entering a cavern next to her.

She stared into the dark cave and felt a small sense of foreboding from it. It was strange to her, yet the foreboding also came with a sense of the cave calling out to her. Curiosity getting the better of her, she began to walk into the cavern. It was hard to see, so she kept her hand along the inner walls of the cave to help guide her. Unfortunately, some parts of the wall had sharper rocks and one of them cut into her palm, resulting in a few drops hitting the ground.

As soon as the blood touched the cavern floor, a being once thought lost to the world woke up and used its power to activate the seals inside of the cave. Mai was surprised to see the walls covered in red runes that allowed her to see the inside. She noticed that she had slowly entered a circular opening within the cave and she gazed at a white object stuck to the wall on the other side of the opening.

Inside of the object's seal, a certain fox observed the young teen through the seals surrounding the cavern walls. Using its ability of empathy, the fox saw that this girl craved to express herself but was also innocent and that her soul was pure.

The fox then focused on the blood that hit the ground and was shocked to see how thickly the essence of the old world flowed through the drops.

**'_Interesting… This girl meets the requirements and has the most essence of the old world that I have ever encountered over the years. Perhaps she truly is the one to remove the seal...'_ **The fox then pushed its energy through the cavern seals and spoke to the confused teen. **"Welcome child… Tell me, do you know what this place holds?"**

Mai was shocked to hear a voice speak throughout the cave and searched for the source. She then heard the same voice give a small chuckle and grew irritated. "What exactly is so funny?"

"**The fact that you are trying to locate me, when my location is far beyond your understanding, is amusing. Step closer to the object stuck to the wall, child, and see exactly where I am."**

While skeptical, Mai slowly approached the object to see that it was a person wrapped in a white cocoon of sorts with a piece of paper where she assumed the person's chest would be. The paper had a strange design and was pulsing with a red glow every few seconds.

Since the person's head was bent down, she bent over to get a better look at their face. She discovered that it was a man with naturally tanned skin, whisker-like markings on his cheeks, hair as gold as the sun, and a calm expression on his sleeping face. **"Meet my container, child. This is the man once praised as the 'Hero of the Flame', Naruto Uzumaki."**

Her eyes widened in recognition at the name. It was taught in ancient history at her school that the 'Hero of the Flame' was a man who helped end a major war and was once the 'peacekeeper' of the world. However, the constant disputes between the nations at the time forced the Hero to stop his foolish duty and leave the world. It was unknown where he went or what had happened to him, but now she had supposedly found him.

"Is there proof that he is who you claim?"

Instead of hearing the voice answer her, she noticed another rune appear where she assumed the man's naval would be. From the glowing rune, a spectral head of a red fox appeared and gazed into the girl's amber eyes with its blood red ones. **"The proof you ask for is me; the Kyuubi no Kitsune. I have resided inside of this man ever since his birth over 5000 years ago. That tag you see on his chest is actually what is known as a seal from our time that he perfected. The seal has placed him in the state you see him in now and can only be removed by one who meets the requirements; and that person is you."**

"Me? What have I done to prove I could remove that seal?" she asked in surprise.

**"Naruto set up three requirements to removing the seal: the remover must have a strong will, they must have a pure soul, and they must have the essence of his time flowing through their blood. You meet those requirements because you were courageous enough to enter this place, your soul is pure from the world's taint, and you have the highest levels of the old world's essence in your blood that I've ever witnessed. You are the one who could finally remove the seal and awaken a man who has been hidden away from the world for about 5000 years."**

Mai was shocked at the influence she had on the future of the world. If she released the Hero, would he put the world first and go against the Fire Nation, or would years of seeing the world constantly destroy itself make him not care about the outcome? She was slightly afraid, yet also curious at the same time.

In the end, curiosity won over fear and she slowly reached for the seal and grasped the top right corner of it. As soon as she came into contact with it, she felt a small jolt of electricity course through her and a gust of wind rush past her.

**"The seal has deemed you worthy. Now please, remove it so that my container and I may finally see the world once again."**

Mai was surprised to hear the spectral fox actually plead to her, but she nodded before taking a deep breath and removing the seal. As soon as she did, the cavern was engulfed in a bright light that forced her to close her eyes. She kept them closed until she felt it was safe to see what happened.

When the light died down, Mai was left gaping in shock at what she saw.

(End)

1~ Can someone please draw this Naruto for me?

2~ Kuai Ball was the game the Fire Nation teens played in the episode "Ember Island". It's like volleyball, but the players use their feet instead of their hands.

3~ Can you guess who Mai descended from?

And that was chapter one! I'm so evil with my cliffhanger, aren't I?! *evil laughter*

I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the future chapters to come! If you have any questions or concerns, PM me! Now please: Review! Review! Review!

As for updating times, I will try to have a new chapter up alternatively with "Bloody Guardian". Basically, one weekend is "Bloody Guardian", the next is this. Please be sure to be on the lookout for them then! Next week will be a "Bloody Guardian" update!

**Current ages:**

**Naruto:** (physical) 26; (actual) 5113

**Fire Nation Girls:** 14

**Zuko:** 15

**Aang:** (physical) 12; (actual) 109

Next Time: Meetings and Tests! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	2. Chapter 2: Meetings and Tests

Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the next chapter of "Mai's Teacher"!

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto or Avatar the Last AirBender

"Speech"

_'Thoughts'_

**"Higher Being Speech"**

**_'Higher Being Thoughts'_**

"_Jutsu_"

(Technique Translations)

Scene or Time Change/Chapter Name

Chapter 2: Meetings and Tests

After the blinding light died down, Mai took in her surroundings and she was confused as to where she ended up. While still on an island, she noticed that she was no longer on Ember Island. The land was lush with grass and flora and the ocean shore had sand as white as snow. Waves gently rolled along the shore before slowly returning to the waters they called home. She then heard many different voices and turned her sights to a village full of happy people going about their everyday lives. Slowly walking through the streets, she took notice that some people stopped and waved to her before continuing their day. She nervously returned their gestures while continuing her trek through the village. There were many shops, some restaurants, and many children running around with joyful expressions. It was as if this place was full of peace and serenity. Mai couldn't stop the small smile that came to her face at the sight of all the happiness around her.

**"It's beautiful, isn't it?"** came a familiar voice from seemingly everywhere.

Mai froze at the voice of the Kyuubi and saw that the scene she was in slowly faded away and the once joyful village turned into an island filled with ruins of the once peaceful civilization.

**"Now look at it… This once peaceful village has become nothing more than a painful memory for my container… The place you find yourself in child is the once great nation of Uzu."**

"W-What happened to it? What made it become this?" she asked while gazing at the depressing island.

"The answer to your question, child, is war… War is what made this once beautiful place, the home of my ancestors, what it is now," came a new voice making Mai turn to it. What she saw was a blonde man with a red cloak with black flames on the bottom, a long-sleeved black shirt with an armored shoulder plate on his left side, blood red cargo pants with a golden swirled leaf symbol stitched to the sides in gold lettering, black combat boots, and a headband with a swirled design wrapped around his left bicep. On his face were six whisker markings and his long spiky hair was waist-length with shoulder-length bangs framing the sides of his face, with some bangs covering his right eye entirely.

"Who are you?" she asked in slight fear since this man looked primed and ready for war.

He gave her a blank stare before turning his gaze to behind her and said, "I'm glad that you actually found someone to awaken me, Kurama."

Mai turned her gaze behind her and saw a giant fox resting on the shores of the island. The great being had orange fur, a human-like upper torso complete with opposable forepaws, and nine tails swaying behind it. The fox smirked at the two humans and replied, **"Well, you asked me to find someone and personally I was getting fed up of waiting after nearly 5000 years…Naruto."**

The newly named man smirked back and retorted, "I should've figured you'd grow bored of waiting, fox. Still though, 5000 years is quite a long sleep…"

**"No shit,"** the fox commented with sarcasm.

"Wait a minute!" cried Mai, gaining the attention of the other two. "So you," she pointed at Kyuubi, "are telling me that he," she then pointed to Naruto, "is the guy that was trapped in that white thing I saw? He is the 'Hero of the Flame'?"

**"That would be correct, ningen."**

"Ningen?" she asked in confusion.

"In our time, it is roughly translated to 'human'," explained Naruto. "The fox you see is in fact a spirit purely made of energy that was sealed into me during my birth."

"Yea I know… The fox told me before I took off that strange paper…"

"That paper was a seal that kept me rooted to that spot until someone worthy was able to remove it. Although, I am surprised that one as young as you was actually able to remove it…" Mai saw him gain a thoughtful look and heard him mutter something that sounded like "hidden potential".

"What 'hidden potential' are you talking about?" she asked causing him to look at her with a calculative gaze, like he was studying her. It made her uncomfortable and she was about to tell him to quit it before he beat her to it.

"Yes… I do believe we have a winner here, Kurama."

**"Of course we do. I'm the one who told her to remove the seal after all,"** the fox replied with a snort.

"Hmm… What's your name, girl?" Naruto asked Mai.

She hesitated for a second before she answered, "It's Mai…"

"No surname; just 'Mai'?"

"Well, we never really use our surname… My father tells me not to since it reminds people of the 'Age of Chaos'."

"The 'Age of Chaos'? What era was the 'Age of Chaos'?"

"…Your time," she answered with a barely audible voice.

Naruto had a blank stare before he sighed and leaned on a piece of rubble. "I suppose that makes sense… My time was full of nothing but chaos after all."

**"You could say that again…"**

"Well, tell me the surname anyway," Naruto urged.

"I don't see the point to why you think my surname is so important… You're really troublesome, you know that?" she retorted with her arms crossed defiantly, making Naruto and Kyuubi smirk at her wording.

"Nara/**Nara,"** they said simultaneously making her eyes widen.

"Wait… How did you know that?"

"Simple really; the Nara Clan was infamous for their use of the word 'troublesome'. That and your eyes have a calculative glance, studying my every move, word, and expression."

"So why ask when you already knew?" she asked in slight irritation.

"I didn't know completely… So I wanted you to confirm it for me. Anyway, we should probably get out of here… This place is depressing," Naruto said with pitying eyes as he gazed at the ruins. He placed a hand on her shoulder and said, "Brace yourself, Mai… I'll talk to you soon, Kurama."

**"I'll be waiting."**

Ember Island

Mai opened her eyes to the reddish glow of the hidden cavern where she found the sealed blonde and noticed that said man was stretching his stiff limbs.

"Geez, nearly 5000 years of staying still really does a number on your body…" he said as he popped multiple joints making Mai cringe slightly. "So, where are we anyway?"

"We're in a cave on Ember Island of the Fire Nation. It's supposed to be some super island resort," she said before rolling her eyes. "Personally, I find this place more troublesome than home… At least at home I have stuff to do."

Naruto raised a brow and asked, "Not one for vacations, huh?"

"Tsk, this isn't a vacation… This is just our parents getting us out of their hair while they get 'important business' done."

"Ah, that reminds me of the times when-" he began before stopping abruptly.

"When what?" Mai asked before she noticed him shake his head as if trying to forget something.

"Never mind… It's nothing," he said before making his way out of the cave with Mai right behind him. As soon as they made it out, Naruto took in a large breath of the sea air with a content smile on his face. "I forgot how much I missed the smell of the sea… It reminds me of home…"

Mai said nothing and just began walking back to the main beach. She heard Naruto's footsteps behind her and asked, "Why are you following me?"

Naruto gave her a deadpan look and replied, "You really expect me to go out into the world with little to no knowledge on how it works, who's in charge, or what's happening? You unsealed me, so I need you to help me."

"You want me to help you? Why should I help a troublesome person like you?"

"I could tell you about your ancestors and how they were good people. I sense a lingering power within you, Mai, and I could help you draw it out."

"What makes you think I want to let out this 'hidden power' anyway?"

"I know it interests you; just like I know how you feel like you have to be a 'perfect' daughter for your parents due to your father's standing. I also know that you envy people who actually have the freedom to express themselves while you don't have that privilege in your eyes."

Mai gasped in shock at his words and the truth behind them. "How do you know so much about me?"

"Years before I sealed myself away, I gained empathic abilities; the ability to sense the emotions in people. When I mentioned your ancestors, I felt intrigue coming from you. When I mentioned your status as a 'perfect' child, I felt some sadness and a little self-loathing. And when I mentioning your envy for others, I felt it pour from you in waves."

Mai averted her gaze from his piercing blue eye. She couldn't deny that what he said was true and it irritated her how easily he saw right through her bored façade. Even her parents couldn't see it; not that they really paid much attention to her in the first place.

"I'm sure your parents love you, Mai. They probably just can't express it as much as they wish due to their duties to your home," Naruto said reassuringly as he sensed her emotions again.

"Stop reading my emotions!" she yelled while glaring coldly at him. "Just shut up and stop acting like you know me when you don't!" She then felt a few stray tears leave her eyes before she whispered, "You don't know me…"

Naruto sighed at her outburst but he knew that she had shown who she really was in that moment. She had done exactly what he did years ago; bottle up everything. He knew the consequences of doing so, yet he also knew how to help someone who had their emotions bottled up. He moved slowly so as not to startle her and pulled her into a reassuring embrace. She gasped in shock and moved to get out when he whispered, "It's alright, Mai… Let it out… No one is here but you and me."

She still struggled before the emotional dam finally began to break. Slowly her struggling turned to shaking sobs before she clutched the blonde holding her and released her held back tears. She let out everything while Naruto whispered reassuring words to her and held her close. It reminded him of when Anko did the same for him when he was a child begging to know the reason why the villagers scorned him. Anko had been there for him and comforted him, earning herself a place among his precious people.

After some time, Mai finally calmed down enough to let go of Naruto. "Uh… Thanks for that," she said nervously.

He gave a small smile and replied, "Don't worry about it. I was out of line by blatantly reading your emotions. I apologize." He noticed her nod silently and waited for her to speak.

She was quiet for some time before finally saying, "So, you'll tell me about the Nara if I tell you about the world today… That's what you're saying, right?"

Naruto smirked and replied, "I'll do you one better."

"What do you mean by 'better'?"

Keeping his smirk, Naruto said, "Should you uphold your end of the deal and tell me everything I need to know of the world in this time, I'll teach you, not just about your clan, but I'll teach you how to utilize your hidden potential."

"And how would I be using that?"

"If you choose to accept, I'll teach you how to use chakra and the ways of the shinobi; the warriors of the shadows that lived in my time."

Mai's eyes widened in shock at the offer the man presented to her. During the lessons on Ancient History at the Fire Nation Academy, they learned of the seemingly godlike feats that shinobi were capable of in the past. The ability to use the elements in ways Benders could only dream of, the ability to summon creatures of various shapes and sizes, the power to take down hundreds of foes with ease, and so much more… It was quite an offer, but there had to be a catch.

"Alright, what more do you want besides information on the world? Teaching me the ways of the shinobi and about my clan seems a little too good to be true for some simple information you can find in a library…"

Naruto chuckled at her analytical mind. She really was a Nara, through and through. "How astute of you, Mai… Yes, there is something else I would like."

"And that would be…?"

"If I am to teach you the shinobi arts, then you won't just be my student; you'll be my apprentice who I will pass on some of my skills onto. I will need you to support me should the people of your nation see me as a threat or an enemy, and I will also expect you to not hide your true self during our lessons. No masking or holding back your emotions. If you're angry, upset, or unsure of something, then I will expect you to not keep it to yourself and let me know so that I could try to help you. Do you understand?" he asked with a serious expression.

Mai didn't answer immediately and turned her gaze to the horizon. She thought over his offer silently while Naruto mentally praised the girl for not rushing into something she knew nothing of. After what felt like ten minutes, she turned her gaze back to him and asked, "Could I have time to think about it? I'll still tell you what you want to know and vouch for you, but I'm not sure about the whole 'learning the shinobi arts' yet."

Naruto nodded while giving her a small smile. "Of course, in fact I'm glad you want some time to think about it. If you just rushed into it, I would have called you out on it."

Mai nodded at that and began heading back to her friends. "Thanks… Now, we better get back or else Ty Lee will overdramatize her worry of where I went off to…" she said with a sigh, while Naruto chuckled at her expression.

"Sounds like this Ty Lee is a good friend… A little worrisome, but a good friend all the same," he commented while following her.

With Azula and Ty Lee

"Where is she? She usually isn't gone this long…" commented a worried Ty Lee while Azula rolled her eyes.

"Will you relax? Mai can handle herself, and besides, there isn't anything dangerous on this island."

"Easy for you to say, Azula… I heard rumors that there's a cave on this island that releases an aura of power and fear that keeps people at bay." She then gasped and cried out, "Oh no! What if Mai found the cave and was taken by some monster!"

Azula sighed at her over-imaginative friend and just stayed silent. That rumor Ty Lee mentioned lingered in her mind. _'An aura of power and fear… If father knew of this, he would probably search for the source; assuming this rumor has any merit.'_

She was brought out of her thoughts when Ty Lee cried out, "I see her! She's coming over!" She then gained a confused look and finished, "…And there's some guy with golden hair walking with her."

Azula turned her gaze to where Ty Lee was pointing and saw that she was right. Walking beside Mai was a tall man with strange clothing and an even stranger hair color that reached his waist and covered his right eye. She had never heard of anyone who had golden hair before, so she was intrigued. Plus, the way he carried himself was that of an experienced warrior that seemed to hold no equal. Just the sight of this mysterious man interested her and seeing him walking and conversing with Mai deepened her interest.

Once the two reached Azula and Ty Lee, Mai offered a lazy wave and greeted, "Hey, sorry for taking so long. I got distracted by something…mind blowing."

Ty Lee smiled and merely hugged her friend. "That's alright. I'm just glad you're okay; I was so worried!"

Mai sweat-dropped before deadpanning, "I didn't even leave the island."

Naruto chuckled at the scene before he felt Azula's interested gaze and met her amber eyes with his azure one. The two had a stare down for not even five seconds before Azula backed off, unable to hold her gaze against the man.

_'Spirits, I know he's holding back but I still couldn't hold my own against him… And we just looked into each other's eyes! Who is this man?'_

_'Hmm… There's something about this girl that feels familiar, but I can't put my finger on it.'_

"So Mai, who's your uh…friend?" Ty Lee asked.

"This is Naruto. I found him in a small cave down the shore. He needs to speak to Fire Lord Ozai and ask a few questions."

"And what does this man need to ask my father about?" Azula asked with slightly narrowed eyes.

Naruto narrowed his own at her, making her back off. "Questions that do not concern you at the moment, child."

At this time, Zuko arrived and was surprised to see the strange man talking to the girls. He shook it off and merely stated, "Hey girls, Lo and Li said we're ready to return home."

They nodded before they began heading to the docks with Naruto in tow. Azula couldn't stop sneaking curious glances at the whiskered blonde while Zuko decided to introduce himself.

"Nice to meet you, I'm Prince Zuko of the Fire Nation."

Naruto gave a nod and replied, "My name is Naruto Uzumaki, Zuko-ōji."

"What does 'ōji' mean?" asked the Fire Prince.

"In the current time, it roughly translates to 'prince'. I merely utilize the language of a dead time sometimes in my speech."

"That's so cool!" Ty Lee said in awe. "How do you know an old language?"

Naruto chuckled and replied, "Perhaps I'll tell you how I know later. For now, let's just get to the ship."

The girl pouted at the lack of an answer but nodded anyway. She then turned to Mai and asked, "So, how do you know this guy? I mean, you said you met him in a cave, but you seem like you already know a bit about him…"

Mai looked slightly nervous, but Naruto saved her by answering, "When we met, we talked for some time about our lives and what our goals were. Mai has quite the head on her shoulders… Such an analytical mind, and at such a young age, is nothing short of impressive."

Mai mentally thanked the blonde for bailing her out and saw him give her a discreet wink. "Yea and one of his goals can be accomplished if he speaks to the Fire Lord, so I offered him a ride with us."

Azula scowled at Mai and asked, "And do you honestly think that my father will allow this…man to be granted an audience with him so easily?"

Naruto chuckled at the girl, causing her scowl to deepen. "I think I'll be able to convince him to speak to me. In fact, I think he'll be…pleased to meet me, Azula-hime."

"What did you call me?"

"I merely addressed you by your title. 'Hime' translates to 'princess' in the modern tongue."

Azula slowly nodded and the group of five boarded the small ship heading for the mainland. Lo and Li were ready to greet them before catching sight of Naruto leaning on the side railing of the ship. Their eyes widened and they walked towards him.

"My dear lad…" began Lo.

"…are you perhaps a man of legend?" finished Li.

Naruto raised a brow at their…unique way of speaking and replied, "That depends on the legend you speak of…"

"We know who you are…"

"…Hero of the Flame."

Naruto smirked and retorted, "If you knew, then why ask me? What does knowing who I am do for you?"

The two elderly women smiled at his question. "Why young man, it means that…"

"…you are a man who is long ahead of your time."

"The question remains though…"

"…how are you in this time that is not your own?"

Naruto gave them a serious look and answered, "The means are not of your concern for the moment. I will explain everything to the Hi Daimyo (Fire Lord) should I be granted an audience."

"And an audience you shall receive!" stated Lo.

"The Fire Lord will have no problems speaking to a man of your caliber," added Li.

Naruto nodded in thanks before he moved to stand next to Mai. "Those two…scare me," he commented with a slight shudder.

Mai smirked and replied, "Wow, and here I thought nothing could get to you."

"I may be a hero, and the last shinobi on this earth, but I'm not invincible. There are still some things that bother me and unnerve me… And those two are one of those things."

Mai gave a small laugh at that. "Well don't worry so much about it. They could get to anyone without even trying."

A few hours later (Mainland)

Once the group reached the port of the mainland, they disembarked and walked through the streets to the Fire Lord's Palace… Well Mai, Ty Lee, and Naruto walked while Zuko and Azula rode in palanquins.

Many people stared at Naruto in wonder and he was slowly getting uncomfortable by it. He was about to snap before a small child walked up to him with an innocent smile on her face. She held up her hand and offered him a yellow flower that matched his sun-kissed hair. Taking the flower with a smile, Naruto decided to return the gesture and focused chakra into a seal hidden on his left pinky. From the seal, a small figurine of a fox appeared and he handed it to her. The child looked at him in awe before smiling brightly and taking the figurine with a polite thank you.

Naruto had a melancholic smile as he watched the child run off to show her friends her gift. That figurine came from Inari's daughter, Tamaki while he was Uzukage. It was meant as a gift for his tenth year as leader of Uzu and he happily accepted it. After the second destruction of Uzu, he kept it safe in hopes of finding someone to pass it on to. That girl who gave him the flower reminded him so much of Tamaki that giving her the figurine felt right. Seeing her bright smile and her friends' amazed stares furthered the feeling.

He then noticed that he was about to be left behind by the escorts, so he used _Henge_ to transform into a raven and fly after them, leaving the adults in shock and the children in amazement at the display. The raven-Naruto landed on Mai's shoulder, slightly startling her, and said sarcastically, "Thanks for waiting."

Mai shook off her surprise at the transformed blonde and replied, "Next time you should keep up."

"Well excuse me for being nice to that little girl. It's not my fault she offered me this flower," he defended while presenting the flower in his talon. "I was merely returning the gesture."

Mai shrugged, slightly shaking Naruto off balance, and said, "Whatever you say, bird boy..."

Once the group made it to the palace, Naruto transformed back into his true form and followed them inside. The palace itself was incredibly elegant and regal; so much so that Naruto felt out of place in it. The palace was comprised of enormous halls and retained an intricate array of wings and chambers. Large tapestries lined the walls with their beauty. Naruto also saw elaborate fire-themed images and moldings laid out all throughout the numerous sections of the structure.

Once they reached the door to the Throne Room, Naruto was surprised that Lo and Li were already waiting for them. "Lord Ozai is expecting you all," they stated simultaneously before leading them to the Throne Room doors. Opening the doors, Lo and Li allowed them to enter before closing the doors behind them.

The Throne Room had many black pillars with elaborate gold bases that supported the roof, and had black tiled floors, all designed to reflect the firelight. The Fire Lord sat on an ornate covered throne on a higher platform that was surrounded by a wall of fire. Adorning the wall behind him was an enormous bas-relief image of a dragon breathing fire.

The children all dropped to one knee with their heads bowed in respect while Naruto stayed standing with his arms crossed. Azula scowled at the utter disrespect the blonde showed her father while the others were worried about the consequences of his actions.

Ozai narrowed his own eyes at the blonde and saw his single blue eye staring straight into his own amber ones as if he was seeing right through him. It unnerved, angered, and intrigued him all at once at how easily the man held himself in Ozai's presence.

"Tell me boy, why do you not show me the respect I deserve in my own throne room?" asked Ozai in a calm voice that hid his irritation.

Naruto merely leaned on one of the pillars while keeping his gaze on the man. "In my eyes, respect is earned and I have not seen a reason to give it to you."

"You dare insult me in my own home?" questioned Ozai while the wall of flames grew in size.

Naruto scoffed before waving his hand and using Fuuton chakra to remove the oxygen from the flames, shocking the people in the room. "Do not hold the notion that you can intimidate me, Ozai, son of Azulon. You know not what I'm capable of and how easily I can do away with you."

Ozai and Azula scowled at him while the rest looked at him in shock. "You do not seem to know your place, boy."

"No… It is you who doesn't know your place, _child_. You're thousands of years too young to even be a challenge for me," Naruto retorted. "I'm sure Lo and Li informed you of my identity, as I'm also sure you know of the legends behind my name."

"I fail to see such a man in front of me. All I see is a disrespectful child attempting to intimidate me."

"Are you sure you aren't confusing me with yourself?" asked Naruto from behind the Fire Lord. The others turned to see him leaning on the dragon-themed wall before turning to see the Naruto leaning on the pillar fade from view.

_'Such speed… He could have easily killed me without me noticing,'_ though Ozai as a bead of sweat fell from his brow.

Naruto calmly walked back to the teens and stood in front of them. "In case you need further proof, allow me to introduce myself. My name is Naruto Uzumaki, Jinchuriki of the Kyuubi no Yoko, Child of Prophecy, Sennin of the Gama Clan, Sandaime Uzukage of Uzushiogakure, and the Hero of the Flame."

The list of titles confused the others due to the lack of understanding of the old language. Ozai however, having studied the history of the Fire Nation in depth, had some knowledge of the language and he was able to decipher what they meant.

_'So, he's the Human Sacrifice of the 9-Tailed Fox, Sage of the Toad Clan, and the Third Whirl Shadow of the Whirling Tides Village… Not many people know of those titles for this man… But I'm still not entirely convinced.'_ Ozai stared at the blonde in front of him and laced his fingers in front of him. "You claim you are the revered Hero, however I would like to see you prove your claim."

"Oh, and how would you like me to 'prove myself' to you?"

"A simple test really… Legends say of your many abilities and powers; I want to see you prove that these legends are true."

Naruto crossed his arms in front of him and gave Ozai a blank stare. "I assume you're looking for specific abilities during this test of yours?"

"Indeed… You will need to show your affiliation with the Toads, your mastery of the elements you wield, and your legacy."

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the word 'legacy'. "I hope you realize that if I use that particular power, whoever you have watching these 'tests' will either be dead, dying, or driven mad?"

"I do; however the proof is needed to stake your claim as being our revered Hero."

Naruto kept his blank stare while retorting, "I could just end you in the blink of an eye and be done with it… However, doing so will do nothing more than cause the people to fear me and scorn me; two things I've had plenty of to last many lifetimes."

"So, do we have a deal?" Ozai asked with a smirk.

Naruto gave a slow nod before turning to leave the Throne Room. "Have someone escort me to the designated area when you are prepared," he stated on his way out.

Ozai kept his smirk before turning to the teens and dismissing them. All but Azula left and Ozai asked, "What do you make of him, Azula?"

The girl closed her eyes in thought while answering, "He's definitely powerful, and incredibly intimidating… I couldn't even meet his gaze for more than five seconds."

"What of the claims he makes? Do you believe he is who he says he is?"

"I'm pretty sure he is, but we'll definitely have an answer after your test for him, father."

"Hmm… You may go now," he stated while leaving his Throne Room to prepare his test for the man.

With Naruto

In the royal gardens, Naruto sat in a lotus position on top of the water of a nearby pond. His eyes were closed in concentration while his breathing was even and calm. He focused on his mindscape and reappeared in the populated streets of Uzu. Seeing the smiling faces of the people he left behind made him clench his fists and shed a lone tear.

**"You can't keep doing this to yourself, Kit,"** the Kyuubi said as the visage of the peaceful village was replaced with the Uzu Ruins. **"It isn't healthy to dwell on the past so much..."**

"I know, but I can't help but think back on those peaceful times… Back then, all seemed right with the world and…I was happy… For the first time in so long, I was happy…"

Naruto turned his attention to the fox lying down behind him and saw it release a sigh. **"Kit, you know those times are over… It's been over 5000 years since you've seen the people of Uzu. Think about it though… Would the people who followed you, adored you, and stood by you want to see you dishonor their memory by dwelling on what once was?"**

"…No, they wouldn't… They'd want me to press forward and live for them; just like Jiraiya-sensei." The blonde then sighed and gazed towards the rising sun in the horizon. "Let the dawning sun act like the will of my people urging me to move on," he stated before fading away from the mindscape.

Kyuubi turned its gaze to the dawning horizon and smirked. **"You would all be proud of your Uzukage… He'll get through this,"** it stated as the ghostly silhouettes of the villagers appeared in the sunlight. With smiles of encouragement and hope, they faded away to the heavens above.

Naruto opened his eyes to the sight of Mai reading a book while Ty Lee was staring at him. Zuko and Azula were nowhere to be seen.

_'Probably doing trivial royalty errands…'_ He then turned his gaze to Ty Lee who had a curious glance on her face. "Is there something you need?"

"I was just wondering how you're sitting on top of the water… Are you using WaterBending to have the water beneath you stay solid?"

Naruto raised a brow in confusion. "What is WaterBending?"

Ty Lee looked shocked while Mai sighed and closed her book. "Calm down, Ty Lee. Naruto is from the past, remember?"

"I thought he was kidding!" she retorted incredulously before returning her gaze to him. "A-Are you really from the past?"

Naruto closed his eyes and sighed while running a hand through his hair, letting the two girls see that his right eye had a scar going down it from his brow to his cheek. "Yes, I was born during the Age of Chaos… I was able to seal myself away before Mai found me in that cavern on Ember Island and removed the seal."

Ty Lee's eyes widened before she began doing a sort of happy jig. "Yes! I was right about there being a strange cave on the island!" she cheered while Naruto and Mai sweat-dropped.

"Well, you seem to be taking this news well… You don't doubt my claim?" Naruto asked the happy teen.

She shook her head with a bright smile. "Nope! I know you're telling the truth!"

"And how would you know this?"

"I can tell when someone is lying to me no problem! And you've been nothing but completely honest the whole time you've been here! Besides, your aura is bright and vibrant while also being strong and powerful."

Mai sighed and muttered, "There she goes with her troublesome 'aura reading' again…"

"So…you're an empath?" asked Naruto.

"Hmmm… I guess you could say that. I mean, I was always able to tell when someone was happy or upset… But it's hard to read some people… I mean, even with you I can barely read you. All I can tell is that whatever you've said was sincere and honest…" Ty Lee explained to him.

"That's pretty impressive… A natural empath at such a young age… This generation is full of promise; however, promise also comes with problems," commented the blonde to himself.

The girls were about to ask what he meant by that before they were interrupted by the arrival of a slightly elderly man in royal Fire Nation clothing. He had an aura of calmness that both Naruto and Ty Lee felt, but Naruto was also able to feel the incredible power this man held back.

_'This man is definitely not someone to underestimate…'_

The man smiled to them and greeted, "Good afternoon girls. I hope you're having a pleasant day?"

"Of course, Lord Iroh!" Ty Lee replied while returning the smile.

"I'll admit that today's been interesting," Mai commented.

"I'm glad," stated the newly named Iroh before meeting Naruto's gaze. Not many knew of this, but Iroh had once ventured into the Spirit World years ago. During his time there, he saw visions of a young man with blonde hair battling enemies of incredible strength with the help of his friends and loved ones. The man presented himself as strong, honorable, and full of life. Based on his memories of the visions, Iroh was able to recognize the man in front of him and he gave a bow of respect. "It is an honor to meet a man of your caliber, Lord Uzumaki."

Naruto was surprised that the man knew his identity without him introducing himself. But then again, Lo and Li knew who he was right away back on the ship, so he shouldn't be surprised. "Please, don't bow to me. My title as 'Hero' is terribly misplaced…"

"I don't think so, my good man. Your actions back then saved the world from a fate that many would feel is worse than death."

"And in the end, I left the people I swore to protect and lead after a terrible battle with a man enshrouded in darkness… I abandoned them, so I'm no hero…"

Iroh gave the man a small smile and placed a reassuring hand on his shoulder. "I believe that what you did for them was the right thing. Think about it; did you leave out of guilt, or did you leave to keep them safe?"

Naruto thought over the question and his actions back then. When he destroyed Uzu in his bid to kill Sasuke, he felt immense guilt for destroying the homes of his people. But deep down, he felt as if they would be safer away from him since he was a high target back then. Even when he exiled himself to the ruins of Konoha, he fended off many attempts on his life and defended what was left of his birth home. He gave a small smile and looked to Iroh with a small fire of determination.

"I left for both reasons, but the biggest one was to protect them. I may have taken away their homes, but I saved their lives in the end and homes could always be rebuilt." His smile grew along with his determined gaze as he finished, "And I believe; no, I _know_ my people survived for many years after that!"

Iroh nodded to him with a smile while Ty Lee and Mai smiled as well. Ty Lee because she felt the sadness coming from him be replaced with happiness, and Mai did so because seeing him so depressed didn't suit him. When she met him, he seemed like this invincible man who could handle anything, but seeing him so vulnerable when discussing what he felt were failures didn't feel right.

"I'm glad I was able to help. Now, I actually came here to escort you to the test my brother set up for you."

Naruto nodded and followed the man to an open arena like area where Ozai, Zuko, Azula, and some of the citizens of the royal capital were waiting. The blonde stepped out onto the arena floor while Iroh led Mai and Ty Lee to the stands.

Ozai stood up from his seat and addressed his people. "We are gathered today to witness this man try and prove that he is our revered 'Hero of the Flame'. This test of skill will have him perform the abilities that made him both feared and respected in the Age of Chaos. Now then, let us begin."

Naruto turned his gaze to Mai and smirked before mouthing, "Watch closely." At her slow nod, he took a calming breath, slowly bit his thumb to draw blood, and weaved through some handseals before slamming his bloody palm on the ground with a cry of, "_Kuchiyose no Jutsu_!"

As soon as his hand touched the ground, a seal array appeared and spread out before a large plume of smoke covered the entire arena. Slowly, the smoke cleared and revealed the blonde atop a giant green toad that had a pipe in its mouth, a blue coat with the kanji for 'Chief' on it, and a tanto blade on its back. The toad looked around in surprise before bellowing, **"What is this? Who has summoned one of the Gama Clan after so many years?!"**

Naruto jumped down to the toad's nose and stared it down. "I did, Gama-san."

The toad narrowed its eyes at the blonde before him. **"And just who are you to summon me?"**

"My name is Naruto Uzumaki, Sennin of Mount Myoboku," he replied causing the toad's eyes to widen in shock.

**"By Kami-sama… Y-You're Naruto-sama! The Grand Sennin, Gamakichi-sama told us of your position as Sennin of the Gama Clans! We believed you had disappeared off the face of the earth for eternity, yet Gamakichi-sama never lost hope since your name never faded from the list. It is an honor to meet you. I am Gamashun, chief of the Gama Clan, but you may call me Shun for short."**

Naruto gave the toad a smile and replied, "I'm glad that Kichi is still alive after so long. I'll be sure to visit him sometime… In the meantime, let the others know that Naruto Uzumaki is back!"

The Chief Toad nodded and dispelled in another plume of smoke, leaving Naruto standing in the center of the arena. The spectators all had looks of shock while Iroh had a look of amazement on his face.

"What's the next test?" Naruto asked with his arms crossed. "Or was that proof enough?"

Ozai scowled at him before replying, "The next test is to show your mastery of your elements. First, what elements did you wield?"

"My affinities were of Lightning and Wind natures."

Ozai narrowed his eyes slightly at the mention of 'wind' from Naruto. "Then show us your mastery of these elements," Ozai stated as the crowd sat on the edge of their seats awaiting the display of skill.

Naruto shrugged before flying through handseals while his body emitted sparks of electricity. When he formed the final seal, he released the stored up electricity which rose up to the heavens. "_Raiton: Rairyūdan no Jutsu_ (Lightning Dragon)!" cried the blonde as the lightning formed a serpentine dragon with crimson eyes that flew across the skies above the arena before exploding like a firework. Naruto wasn't finished as he flew through more handseals and the wind picked up around him. The wind slowly took the form of an immense bird with glowing yellow eyes that covered Naruto with its wings. "_Fuuton: Jōshō Fushichō_ (Rising Phoenix)!" he cried as the wind-powered bird took to the skies and flapped its wings towards the ground below, causing gale force winds to crash down on the ground below. While everyone in the stands covered their faces from the harsh winds, Naruto stood calm and steady as if he had experienced winds like this every day. The wind pushed the hair out of his eyes and Mai thought she was imagining things when she saw that his scarred right eye was shown to be blood red (1). She dismissed it when the wind slowly weakened and his hair covered his right eye once again.

When the winds finally died down, Naruto stood as calm as ever while the crowd looked to him with fear, respect, and awe. Ozai felt that he was convinced, but he still felt like issuing one last test to the man. "You truly have mastered your elemental affinities… However, I have one final test for you."

"And that would be…?" questioned Naruto while narrowing his visible eye.

"This test is for you to show that you really hold the Nine-Tailed Spirit within you. Legends say of you having the spirit sealed inside of you… Prove it," Ozai practically ordered.

Naruto narrowed his eye further before he calmed down and chuckled humorously at the man. "Don't say I didn't warn you earlier, Ozai," he stated before closing his eyes and calling upon the tiniest amount of Kyuubi's power. The air soon became heavy for the spectators and they found it much harder to breathe. Naruto slowly raised his head to meet Ozai's gaze before opening his visible eye. Ozai was frozen in fear at the sight of the blood red orb with the black slitted pupil. Visions of death, carnage, and destruction entered his mind and he couldn't tear his gaze away from the blonde man. Finally, after what felt like an eternity, Naruto closed his eyes again and the dense air lifted, allowing everyone to breathe easier again.

Ozai released a breath he didn't know he was holding and slumped in his seat while gazing at the blonde man in front of him in slight fear. But, that fear also came with a slight gleam in his eye. This man was the real deal, and if he could get him to help in the war, then the Fire Nation's victory was assured. Clearing his throat to both calm himself and get the crowd's attention, he declared, "I believe you've proven your claims, Lord Uzumaki. People of the Royal Capital, I give you our revered Hero of the Flame!"

It was barely a second before the crowd cheered for the blonde and praised him while Naruto stood impassively during it all. He didn't do these 'tests' to entertain these people; he did them to prove a point to Ozai. That point was: don't ever doubt Naruto Uzumaki.

While the people kept cheering, Mai watched him calmly leave the arena and head back into the Royal Palace. She hurried after him in hopes of speaking to him right away.

After all, she just saw her future teacher walk away and she'd be damned to miss an opportunity like the one he offered.

(End)

1~ Can you guess what this eye is and who Naruto got it from?

And that was chapter two! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the future chapters to come! If you guys have any questions, comments, or concerns, please PM me!

Now please: Review! Review! Review!

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**Current ages:**

**Naruto:** (physical) 26; (actual) 5113

**Ozai:** 42

**Iroh:** 61

**Lo and Li:** 78

**Fire Nation Girls:** 14

**Zuko:** 15

**Aang:** (physical) 12; (actual) 109

Next Time: Way of the Shinobi Year One! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	3. Chapter 3: Shinobi Way Yr 1

Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the next chapter of "Mai's Teacher"!

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto or Avatar the Last AirBender

AN: Most of you were right with your guesses on Naruto's red eye being a Sharingan. However, the owner of the eye was not guessed correctly. The answer will be revealed in this chapter. Enjoy!

"Speech"

'_Thoughts'_

**"Higher Being Speech"**

**'_Higher Being Thoughts'_**

"_Jutsu_"

(Technique Translations)

Scene or Time Change/Chapter Name

Chapter 3: Shinobi Way Year 1

The following morning found Naruto in a forest clearing less than a mile out of the capital city of the Fire Nation. He sat in a lotus position and meditated while waiting for his new student to arrive. It didn't surprise him in the slightest when Mai asked to learn from him; especially after the display he gave Ozai and the spectators.

During his meditation, he felt the energies of three individuals heading toward him. Mai's reason was obvious, but the feeling of Azula and Ty Lee coming slightly confused him. He knew that he only extended the courtesy of teaching to Mai alone, so he didn't have much of an idea as to why the other two were coming. However, while not knowing why, he decided not to waste this opportunity to figure out why Azula's energy felt so familiar to him.

Opening his eyes, he lifted the hair away from his right eye, revealing a fully mature Sharingan to the world. While using its chakra detection abilities, he thought back as to how he acquired the eye.

Flashback to Naruto's Tenth Year of Self-Exile

The blonde Jinchuriki sat on the head of the Yondaime, gazing out to the destroyed village. He did this every day after properly burying the bodies of his loved ones and only moved when he felt the need to train, eat, or walk through the village ruins. Over the years, he had scavenged scrolls from the various clans of Konoha and stored them all in a scroll that he kept hidden in a seal on the top of his left hand. The history of the people of Konoha would die with its last citizen; him.

During his gazing, he felt the energies of a group of Iwa-Nin heading towards the destroyed village gates. Narrowing his eyes, Naruto pulled out a single kunai and disappeared in a flash of lightning before reappearing in the center of the village. He kept his narrowed gaze on the approaching shinobi and thought to himself, _'If they think they'll find any secrets in this place, then they are _dead_ wrong.'_

The group of Iwa shinobi totaled at about fifty members, with all of them in groups of 10. The leader of them noticed Naruto and grinned maliciously. "Well well boys, look at what we have here… A relic from a once 'powerful' village. Ha! What are you doing here, Namikaze scum?"

Naruto's response was to chuck the kunai in his hand at incredible speed. The knife flew at the man while covered in Raiton chakra, making him tense before using _Kawarimi_ to avoid taking the hit. Naruto glared at them and ground out, "This village has suffered enough for one lifetime. Leave now, or join the everlasting calm of the dead."

The shinobi merely chuckled at Naruto's warning before they all flew through handseals and called out, "_Doton Doryūdan_ (Earth Dragon)!" From the ground, fifty dragons made of jagged rocks rose up and flew at the blonde shinobi.

Naruto gave them a blank look before pouring chakra into his right pointer finger. In midair, he began to form the kanji for 'earth' and 'void' before he formed a circle around the symbol. The floating seal pulsed brown as Naruto muttered, "_Fuinjutsu: Tsuchi Fūji Hōhō_ (Earth Sealing Method)." The many dragons were met with a brown barrier that absorbed their power, causing them to disappear and the Iwa shinobi to gape in shock. Naruto glared at them with slit-red eyes. "My turn…"

In a blur of black and red, the last Uzumaki tore through twenty of the shinobi and sliced off each of their left arms. The men cried out in shock and agony while clutching their bloody stumps. However, one of them managed to swing a kunai at the blonde.

When Naruto reappeared behind the Iwa-Nin, he held his right hand up to his bloody eye and snarled in pain and anger. _'Damn it! I got careless and it cost me!'_ he raged in his mind while Kyuubi tried to do damage control. To the fox's shock, its youki was drastically weakened due to a foreign substance in Naruto's wound.

**"Kit, there was something on that kunai that's blocking me from completely healing it!"**

_'What?! What the hell could've-'_ he started before he remembered that Orochimaru had come up with a serum that screwed with a Jinchuriki's healing. He growled in rage and asked his tenant, _'Damn that fucking snake to hell! Is there any way to repair it?'_

**"Not immediately… Unless…"** the great fox mused to itself.

_'Unless what Kurama?'_ Naruto pressed as he hid behind some rubble since the Iwa-Nin grew confident at the blow Naruto had received.

**"It's a stretch, but I want you to call out that raven Itachi had you swallow…"**

Naruto's eyes widened in surprise as he asked, _'I still have that thing in me? I thought it flew off after it used the _Kotoamatsukami (Distinguished Heavenly Gods)_…'_

"**Yes you still have it! Now, create a ****Kage Bunshin**** to pluck the eye out of the raven, along with your slashed eye."** Naruto complied and had a _Kage Bunshin_ form while focusing his chakra to find a source reminiscent of Itachi's. When he found it, he used his to pull it out, causing a raven with Shisui Uchiha's Sharingan to wriggle out of his mouth.

_'Oh Kami-sama, I forgot how disgusting that was!'_

**"Alright, all that's left is to have your clone switch out the eyes and I'll use my youki to handle the rest."**

The next thing the Iwa-Nin heard was a cry of immense pain coming from one of the wrecked buildings. "He's over there!" yelled one as he launched many boulders towards the rubble.

When the rubble got demolished by the boulders, the Iwa-Nin smirked before they heard heavy breathing. They all turned to see Naruto who was leaning on another piece of rubble for support and had blood dripping from the right side of his face. They all chuckled at his beaten look before he raised his head and glared at them with his blue and red eyes. Staring at them, inside of a scarred eye socket, was a fully mature Sharingan.

"H-How is that possible?! How the fuck does he have a damn Sharingan?!" one of them asked in fear.

From Naruto's mindscape, the Kyuubi told the blonde, **"Kit, you should know that my youki changed the genetic structure of the eye. Before you ask, that means that Shisui's ****Kotoamatsukami**** has been replaced with a different Uchiha power."**

_'What exactly was it replaced with? And what will happen if I try Mangekyou?'_

**"Even I don't know the answers to those questions. You'll have to see for yourself, Kit."**

Naruto mentally nodded before he focused chakra into his Sharingan. His eye seemed to become completely red before his Mangekyou revealed itself to the Iwa shinobi. The sclera of the right eye became blood red, his pupil became pitch black, and the once black tomoe turned crimson (1). _'Alright, let's see what happens,'_ he mused to himself before he was met with a few more _Doryūdan_ from the intruders. Something from the eye called out to his mind and he felt his body distort before the many earth dragons phased right through him; as if he wasn't even there (2)! Naruto released the distorted feeling before he glared murderously at the frightened Iwa shinobi. "Get the fuck out of my birth home!" he raged before he charged.

Present Time

Naruto shook his head from the memories and focused on Azula's energy. He felt a dark chakra from her, although it was civilian-sized at the most. The feeling came from only one group of people that Naruto would never forget.

"Uchiha…" he murmured as the girls entered the clearing. Luckily, they didn't hear him so he addressed Mai, "I thought that I was only teaching you?"

Mai was about to answer, but Azula cut her off. "And just why exactly does Mai alone get the honor of being taught by you?"

Naruto narrowed his visible eye at her and retorted, "I chose Mai, therefore she _alone_ will be taught by me. A girl like you, who has many teachers and tutors at her beck and call, does not need my guidance."

Azula scowled at him while Ty Lee nervously asked, "W-Well, what about me?"

Naruto gave her a calculative glance before answering, "I'll give you a few exercises to help you better defend yourself, but don't expect anything else from me. Do you understand?"

The brunette nodded before Naruto took out a random scroll and tossed it to her. When she opened it, she noticed that it was about the human body and the many different pressure points that could either help or harm it.

"That scroll should help you know where exactly to strike your opponents to take them out swiftly and without killing them. Actually training your body to be able to strike efficiently will be up to you, Ty Lee," Naruto explained to her.

Ty Lee squealed in gratitude and crashed into the blonde to hug him. Due to his larger stature and honed reflexes, he remained standing with no problem. The girl then went to a nearby tree to study her scroll. Azula rounded on the blonde, "I don't understand why you refuse to teach me!"

"I already answered you; you already have _plenty_ of people to help you. My teachings would be wasted on you anyway since your chakra levels are far too low for me to even think of doing so."

Mai chose this moment to ask, "What's chakra?"

He turned to her and answered, "It's the energy within all things that allows them to call upon incredible power, depending on how much a person has. It's also as important as blood or oxygen since a person without chakra is dead."

"Why have I never felt it?"

"The answer is because you never consciously drew upon it. You've been living on the bare minimum, so you never felt anything new. When we actually tap into your chakra for the first time, then you'll feel it."

He then gazed at Mai with his Sharingan to see her chakra levels, causing her eyes to widen in surprise. _'I thought I only imagined that eye… But why does he have different eyes?'_

"Well Mai, it appears that you have chakra levels of a high Genin; surprising for one who hasn't accessed their chakra yet."

"Ooh! What about my levels?" Ty Lee called out.

Naruto turned his gaze to her and shook his head. "Unfortunately, you barely have low Genin reserves, Ty Lee. I can't help you access your chakra anymore than giving you a small burst of energy that will _immediately_ have you exhausted to the point of needed bed rest."

The girl pouted at his response but waved it off in favor of the scroll in her hands. Azula then asked, "What would happen if I tapped into this 'chakra' you're talking about?"

"You'd die from chakra exhaustion; plain and simple. Your reserves are too low to use except for bare minimum used to survive. I can't teach you even if I wanted to, Azula."

Azula scowled at that before leaving in a huff. Naruto sighed in slight relief along with Mai, causing them to look at one another in confusion and Ty Lee to giggle. When they turned to her, she commented, "Wow, you guys are already acting like teacher and student!"

Naruto shook his head in amusement while Mai muttered, "Troublesome…"

"Now Mai, I want you to sit in a meditative position like I am," Naruto said to his student.

Mai complied and sat in a lotus position like the blonde man in front of her. "Okay, I'm guessing you want me to 'clear my mind' or something like that?"

"Not exactly… I want you to calm yourself, but I also want you to try and sense your inner chakra. It should feel like a hidden well of energy waiting to burst out. When you feel it, I want you to pull it out and spread it throughout your body. Understand?"

She nodded before closing her eyes and began to breathe slowly. Naruto was helping her by watching her chakra levels with the Uchiha dojutsu while Ty Lee watched on in anticipation. After what felt like forever to the Nara descendent, Mai sighed and said, "I can't feel anything."

Naruto closed his eyes in thought before deciding that her chakra just needed a jump-start. So, he poured chakra into his thumbs and beckoned her to him. When she was standing in front of him, he placed his left thumb on her forehead while his right touched her naval. These were the two main chakra points of the body; the mind and the core respectably. He then willed his chakra into her system in search of her own. What he didn't count on was his chakra affecting her reserve levels, pushing them from high Genin levels to mid Chunin. Kurama noticed though, but remained silent for the moment.

When his chakra found hers, he pulled it out of her core and spread it throughout her body. To Mai, it felt like her body had just received the biggest surge of power she had ever felt. She felt amazing, powerful, and unbeatable… That is until Naruto flicked her on her forehead, causing her concentration to break and her chakra to recede back into her.

"Why'd you do that?" she asked with narrowed eyes, only to meet his stern gaze.

"If I had allowed you to continue, your chakra would have left your body completely, resulting in death." At her shocked look, he continued, "The first thing we will work on, now that you've unlocked your chakra, will be control." He then looked to the sun resting high in the sky and said, "We'll continue later today. For now, go eat something and rest. That should restore your reserves by enough to start our first lesson."

Mai nodded before she and Ty Lee left for the town. Once they were gone, Kyuubi commented, **"I hope you realize that you actually raised her reserves when you did that little trick of yours?"**

_'Yea, I didn't notice immediately, but I felt it before I stopped her from accidentally killing herself. I didn't think my chakra would affect hers in that way though… We'll have to make sure her control is at least at water-walking levels before I teach her any jutsu.'_

**"What exactly will you teach her, Kit?"**

_'I plan to make her my apprentice in the ways of the Gama Arts. That means she'll sign the contract when I feel she's ready…'_

**"What about the Sennin Arts? Will you teach her that as well?"**

_'We'll cross that bridge when we get to it. For now, I'm going to spend this break to talk to Kichi. I haven't seen him for thousands of years.'_

**"Ha! How does it feel to be an old man?"** the fox asked with a smirk.

Naruto smirked back and retorted, _'I may be old, but at least I still look young.'_ He then flew through handseals and used the _Gyaku Kuchiyose_ (Reverse Summoning) to transport himself to Mt. Myoboku.

Myoboku

Naruto found himself in the densely forested home of the Gama Clan and smiled at the memories he had of this place. _'It's like nothing's changed since I was last here… Except that Kichi is now the Grand Sennin of the clan. Better not keep him waiting since I'm sure he sensed my arrival.'_

The blonde shinobi trekked through the dense forest and made his way to the Toads' village. When he stepped through the dense fauna, many toads turned their gazes to him and most widened their eyes in surprise at how a human found this place. A small few were able to see the whisker markings and murmured, "Naruto-sama…" The whispers caused others to realize just who this intruder was.

Suddenly, a loud boom was heard followed by an intense tremor signifying the arrival of Gamashun. He turned to the blonde and greeted, **"Welcome back to Myoboku after so long, Naruto-sama."**

Naruto nodded in greeting and replied, "It's good to see this place again. I actually came here to speak to Kichi. Can you take me to him?"

**"Of course; this way, Naruto-sama,"** Shun answered before leading the Uzumaki to a large courtyard that had a large crystal ball and an ancient looking toad.

The toad was orange and blue with many wrinkles and wheezing breaths. He turned his head towards Naruto's general direction, presenting foggy eyes to him. _'So, Kichi's become blind over the years; same as the Grand Sennin of my time.'_ Naruto then smiled to Kichi and stated, "It's been a long time hasn't it, Kichi?"

**"Nii-san? Is that… really you…?" **Kichi asked in between wheezed breaths.

"Yea Kichi, it's me Naruto. I'm glad to see you again after so long," Naruto commented while embracing the blind toad. "I assume that everyone else is…?"

**"Yes… They're all…dead. I was given…the title of…Grand Sennin by…tou-san before he…passed on. Although, Fukusaku-sama left something…for you in…his will nii-san."**

"He did?" asked a surprised blonde. "I'm sorry to hear that I wasn't there for the service and about everyone else…" After a small silence in short memory of the deceased toads, Naruto asked, "So what exactly did Fukusaku-sama leave me?"

Kichi's answer was to press his left forepaw to the ground next to him, resulting in a small plume of smoke. Once it cleared, an old-looking staff was seen in Kichi's paw. **"He left you…his Senjutsu Staff. You remember…the one that knocked…nature chakra out of…someone if they had…too much?"**

"Yea, I remember…" Naruto said in a whisper as he took the staff. He felt nature chakra flowing freely through it and remembered the times when the old toad used it on him. It brought a melancholic smile to his face as he thought of all the bumps he received throughout his Senjutsu training. "So, did he want me to do something with this, Kichi?"

**"Yes he did. He wanted you…to pass on the ways of…the Gama Sennin to…this generation. Aside from me…you are the last Sennin…of the Gama Clan. Not only that…but I think my time…has finally come…"**

Naruto turned to his oldest friend with wide eyes. "Kichi, you can't possibly mean that! We… We just saw each other again after so long, and now you're about to die?! You can't die!"

The old toad gave Naruto a sad smile. **"Yes… I am about to die. However, I'm glad…that I was able…to see you one last time…nii-san. Be sure to…honor Fukusaku-sama's…last wish."** He then gave one long, final wheeze for air before whispering, **"Goodbye…nii…san…"**

The grand Sennin then bowed his head forward and became still. Naruto felt his eyes water and proudly let the tears free in memory of his dead friend. Many other toads that had come to see the meeting between the two were also in tears at the loss of their oldest clan member. _'Kichi… I promise that I will keep the Gama Arts alive…for you and for all members of the Gama Clan.'_

Naruto then turned to the other toads and raised his right fist over his heart; a gesture that they readily returned. Gamashun spoke up, **"We are proud to have you as our Grand Sennin, Naruto-sama."**

The Uzumaki nodded and replied, "I promise, to all of you, that I will keep our teachings alive! I have already found my apprentice and I will make sure that she becomes a Sennin worthy of the Gama Clan name!" He then slammed the staff on the ground, causing a flash of green to emit from it. "That is my promise of a lifetime to you all!"

The toads all smiled to the blonde with determination while a small white and green toad hopped up to him and bowed. "Naruto-sama, please allow me the honor of accompanying you as your familiar toad," she requested.

Naruto gave her a small smile and nodded. "Thank you. I have a feeling that I'll need someone like you to assist me. What is your name?"

"Gamayuki, Naruto-sama… But you may call me Yuki for short."

"Very well Yuki, hop on my shoulder and we'll return to the Human Realm." When she was resting on his shoulder, he turned to the toads and stated, "Remember, the ones who love us never really leave us. Kichi will always be in our hearts so long as we honor his memory and live how he wanted us to." At their nods, he and Yuki disappeared from the Toad Realm in a plume of smoke.

Forest Clearing

When the duo reappeared, they noticed Mai and Ty Lee already waiting for them. Ty Lee was still reading her scroll while Mai leaned against a tree and watched the clouds drift by. This caused Naruto to sweat-drop and think, _'Yep, she's _definitely_ a Nara through and through…'_

Mai turned her gaze to her teacher and actually gave a small smile. "Well, I was wondering where you went… Where _did_ you go exactly?"

Naruto pointed to Yuki and replied, "The realm of the toads. I…picked up my inheritance." He then presented his Sennin Staff to her and allowed her to hold it. Strangely to the kunoichi in training, it felt right in her hands. The aura emitting from it felt empowering and amazing to her. The feeling left when Naruto took it back and sealed it in a storage seal drawn on his right palm. "Now, we are going to work on your chakra control. The first thing I want you to do is to try and focus it to certain points; hands, feet, etc."

Mai nodded and closed her eyes while feeling for her chakra. She felt it in her core, but moving it around was hard for her. She was then broken out of her concentration by Naruto standing behind her and moving her hands to form a strange gesture.

Noticing her confusion, Naruto explained, "This is called a Ram Seal. It's beneficial for initial chakra control for beginners. Hold that seal while focusing your chakra and you'll see the difference." He then backed up and watched her get to work. He saw that she had little trouble moving her chakra around while holding the seal and gave an unnoticeable smile at her progress. Most would have trouble even with the seal, but she seemed to barely have any problems. _'If she truly isn't having much problem, then she must have decent control already; which is strange for a beginner with low Chunin reserves…'_

Mai liked the feeling of moving her chakra around her coils. It felt incredible to be so in control of something. Then again, she didn't have much control over what happened in her life. It took a _lot_ of convincing to her parents to even let her learn. Even if they knew of Naruto's legendary status, they still felt that being associated with a war veteran wouldn't be best for her. Luckily for Mai, her mother saw how badly she wanted to learn from the Uzumaki and gave her daughter her blessing. It was worth it in her eyes since she saw Mai give her a bright smile and a small hug in thanks; two things she rarely saw her daughter do anymore.

After spending a few minutes getting a feel for moving her chakra around, Naruto called her over to show her the other eleven handseals; bird, tiger, boar, rat, dog, dragon, horse, ox, serpent, hare, and monkey. It took the rest of the afternoon to get Mai to perform the seals fluently and at a decent speed. When Naruto dismissed her, she surprised him by smiling at him and saying, "As troublesome as you may be, I want to thank you for doing this for me. By the way, what's the word for 'teacher' in the old language?"

"Teacher in stated as 'sensei', and teaching you is no problem. After all, I did say you'd be my deshi, Mai."

"I'm guessing that means 'student'?" she asked with a small smirk.

"Close; it means 'disciple'," he replied with a matching smirk.

"Well anyway, I'll see you tomorrow, sensei."

As Mai left the clearing, Yuki spoke up, "Your student seems promising, Naruto-sama."

"Yea she does… By the way, you don't have to call me 'sama'. Just 'Naruto' is fine with me."

Little Yuki stammered a bit at how her summoner seemed so disinterested in his respected title, but she calmed down and replied, "If you say so…Naruto."

For the following two weeks, Mai worked on her control with the help of her sensei while Ty Lee watched on in curiosity and wonder. After she had gotten a feel for her chakra, Naruto moved Mai onto tree-climbing. It surprised the two girls when they saw the Uzumaki walk straight up a tree and stand under a tree branch with only his feet.

Obviously Mai had some trouble with this one, but not as much as Naruto believed she would. She merely kept putting too much chakra into her feet which forcefully pushed her off the tree. He easily helped her solve the issue since he knew what it was like to use too much chakra at one time. With his advice, Mai was able to steadily progress up the tree, each time getting slightly higher than the previous.

After the two weeks of tree-walking, Naruto moved his student on to physical exercises to increase her strength, stamina, and endurance. He had her run around the clearing, perform push-ups, mad her do chin-ups on a low branch, and had her wear _Taijū Fuiin_ (Weight Seals) during it all. She had the seals on her wrists, ankles, and abdomen. The ones on her wrists and ankles were ten pounds each while the one on her abdomen was fifteen. This went on for another two weeks.

The following three months were spent teaching Mai water-walking to further increase her chakra control as well as basic weapons training with kunai and shuriken. For her safety, Mai was allowed to keep her weights off during the water-walking and used blunted weapons during her weapons training. It surprised Naruto at how proficient she was with her weapons; especially since she claimed that she'd never used them before.

_'I can't believe how good she is already… Maybe one of Tenten's descendants married a Nara down the line.'_

**"That would make since… That Higurashi girl was a terror with those weapons of hers, but she was especially good with bows and arrows. You gonna have Mai learn how to use those?"**

_'I don't see a reason not to. Tenten would kill me if I didn't have her descendant learn her skills; even if I was already dead.'_

After those months, Mai had master water-walking and was as skilled as Tenten used to be with kunai and shuriken. She was able to hit targets many yards away, moving and stationary, and score perfect bulls-eyes on them.

The fifth-seventh months of training had Naruto teaching Mai how to properly use the _Kawarimi_, _Henge_, and _Bunshin_ techniques. Since she was still relatively new to the shinobi arts, seeing the techniques demonstrated to her made her eager to learn, even if Naruto wasn't able to fully demonstrate the regular _Bunshin_ to her. Naruto was glad to see how Mai truly was without her emotional barrier up. She reminded him of himself so much that it was both refreshing and scary. Refreshing to see that he was able to help someone that was like him, and scary at how similar they were.

The fifth month was spent on _Kawarimi_ and learning on when to properly use it and time it. Month six was used for _Henge_ training. It amazed Mai at how Naruto was able to successfully fool Ty Lee with this as he acted like her. That month was also a fun one for her since she used it to fool so many people around the city, which made Naruto think that he had somehow passed on his old pranking ways to his student. The seventh month was challenging to say the least.

Since Naruto was unable to perform a simple _Bunshin_, but knew the handsigns for it, he couldn't properly demonstrate it to her. When she asked why, he replied, "My reserves match that of three Kage level shinobi alone. More chakra equals harder control but it also makes some techniques impossible for me. The _Bunshin_ is merely one of those techniques." Understanding that even her sensei is not above everything, she tried her best with the technique. The first two weeks of the seventh month only resulted in pale or dead illusions. Week three had them pale still, but none looked dead. It wasn't until the last three days of week four that she successfully made illusionary clones. While pleased with her progress, Naruto reminded her that _Bunshin_ were not physical, so they didn't make a sound. A trained warrior would be able to notice the difference the real her and her clones on that alone.

Months eight and nine were spent on reviewing all she had learned. Handseals, chakra control, physical exercises, the three basic jutsu, and weapons training were all reviewed and raised up to almost an art form. Naruto and Kurama were pleased with her progress and Naruto saw her as an incredible learner. She learned just like he did; through trial and error. The explanations helped her, but having her actually try something and pointing out her mistakes was the best way Naruto saw Mai learn.

Month ten would have been for training, but something horrible had happened.

Fire Nation Palace

The master and student shinobi entered the palace after being invited by Iroh for some afternoon tea. Naruto still looked the same, but Mai went through an incredible change.

Her hair was styled in a single tail that was held by two senbon needles; the needles were extra weapons. She wore black kunoichi sandals that Naruto had ordered for her, dark red hakama pants with a kunai holster on her right side, a black belt that held a weapons pouch for her shuriken and senbon, a long-sleeved mesh shirt under a sleeveless Chinese style shirt, and a hiate that Naruto made for her. The shirt was black with a crimson fox wrapping its nine tails from the back around the right side. The hiate was made of a crimson cloth with the kanji for 'kunoichi' on the metal plate.

When they entered, they saw Iroh talking to Zuko with a worried look on his face. When the retired general noticed them, he beckoned them over. Naruto saw how worried Iroh was and questioned, "What's going on?"

Zuko answered, "I spoke out against a Fire Nation general during a war meeting."

_'So, even this time is still at war… Why can't the world ever learn that war brings nothing but pain? Nagato, you'd be ashamed at this…'_

"Speaking out of turn during a meeting usually results in the two parties, the speaker and the interrupter, engaging one another in an Agni Kai (Fire Duel). Zuko has already accepted the challenge," Iroh explained with a concerned look on his face.

"I'm guessing that you know who Zuko is facing, Iroh?" Naruto asked.

"What do you mean?" Zuko asked back in confusion. "I'm facing that general, right?"

"Zuko," Iroh started with a stern gaze, "you may face him, but I'm not entirely sure. Whoever you face, make sure you stand your ground, or else the shame will be almost impossible to forgive."

Zuko hesitantly nodded as Iroh pulled Naruto over to the side, leaving Mai to catch up with her friend. "What is it you wanted to tell me in private?" Naruto questioned.

"I have news from my associates…"

"And these 'associates' are…?"

"They belong to your old council; the Shiro Renge."

Naruto looked surprised at that and stated, "Explain. I thought that the Shiro Renge dispersed years ago?"

"No they didn't. It still remains a fully operational organization to this day with members in all parts of the world; except the Air Nomads of course."

Naruto nodded at that. While he taught Mai the ways of the shinobi, she told him of the current events of the world and what she knew of Bending and Benders. He also learned of the near genocide of the Air Nomads barring the Avatar who went into hiding. "So, what is this news you have?"

"Fire nation colonies are capturing many small villages around the Earth Kingdoms and putting the EarthBender rebels into prisons or work camps. The colonies are expanding and they plan to move on to the Water Tribes soon."

Naruto nodded and replied, "I'll be sure to look into it when I can. I may not be the peacekeeper of this time, but I despise slavery with a passion. Thank you for the information, Iroh."

The man nodded before they both returned to their respective charges and headed for the arena. Zuko's Agni Kai was later that afternoon and Naruto wanted to be sure that his and Iroh's suspicions on the teen's opponent were correct.

Naruto turned to his student and stated, "Mai, no matter what takes place here, don't look away."

She turned to him confused and asked, "Why not?"

His eyes glazed over in disappointment as he answered, "Because there are some cruel things in the world that you need to see to truly understand."

Still confused, Mai hesitantly nodded and turned her attention to the arena floor where Zuko and a shadowed figure were kneeling with their backs turned to one another. Once they stood and turned to each other, Mai's eyes widened in shock at who Zuko's opponent was.

"I knew it…" Naruto muttered sadly. "The man would choose his pride over his son… He truly has no honor."

Mai watched on as Zuko pleaded to Ozai and begged for forgiveness. The Fire Lord would have none of it and told his son to rise and fight. Zuko refused to fight his father and looked to him with tears in his eyes.

"You _will_ learn respect, and _suffering_ will be your teacher," Ozai stated before burning Zuko on the left side of the prince's face, causing the left eye to look horribly wounded and dead looking.

Mai closed her eyes to hold back the tears as she watched her friend get burned by the one he called 'father' and Naruto comforted her by holding her close to him. "This is how cruel the world can be, Mai. As shinobi, it is our duty to fight for the world's peace so that events like this won't happen anymore."

Mai slowly calmed down and asked, "D-Do you really think we can make any difference, sensei?"

Naruto gave her a reassuring smile and answered, "I believe that, so long as hope remains in the hearts of the people, we can make all the difference in the world. We just have to show them that peace is not a lost dream. My father, sensei, and cousin all fought for peace; as do I. I fight for their dreams and I'm asking you to do the same. Will you help me show the world that peace is not impossible, Mai?"

The Nara descendant wiped her eyes and gazed at her teacher determinedly. "Yes I will sensei."

Naruto nodded with a smile and stated, "I'm glad to hear that. We still have plenty of training to do for you, and by the time we're done, you'll be a successful kunoichi; I promise you."

(End)

1~ Think of it like a Sharingan in reverse color

2~ I feel as if a Mangekyou power comes from the desires of the heart. Tsukiyomi and Amaterasu are the heart wanting to see their dreams made reality. Susano'o represents the will to stand up for your belief. And Kamui is the heart wanting to either remove what stops your dreams (Kakashi's) or make yourself unmovable on your quest to make your dream real (Obito's). That's how I see it anyway, which is why I gave Naruto the Kamui Obito had.

Anyway, that was chapter three! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the future chapters to come! If you have any questions or concerns, PM me!

Now please: Review! Review! Review!

**Current ages:**

**Naruto:** (physical) 26; (actual) 5114

**Ozai:** 43

**Iroh:** 62

**Lo and Li:** 79

**Fire Nation Girls:** 15

**Zuko:** 16

**Aang:** (physical) 12; (actual) 110

Next Time: Way of the Shinobi Year Two! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	4. Chapter 4: Shinobi Way Yr 2

Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the next chapter of "Mai's Teacher"!

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto or Avatar the Last AirBender

AN1: Most of you are probably mad about me not updating for so long… I don't blame you in the slightest… However, the reasons are that I was moving and that my COM decided to be a bastard and die on me, making me lose a lot of files and spend a lot of money to get it fixed… Sorry for the lack of updates, but I hope the reasons are taken into consideration before you get too mad at me.

AN2: Someone, who will remain anonymous for now, brought it to my attention that Kamui works both ways no matter if you have one eye or both. Thank you for explaining that to me.

"Speech"

'_Thoughts'_

**"Higher Being Speech"**

**'_Higher Being Thoughts'_**

"_Jutsu_"

(Technique Translations)

Scene or Time Change/Chapter Name

Chapter 4: Shinobi Way Year 2

**"Things seem to be getting very tiresome out there,"** commented the fox as Naruto sat in meditation. It had been a couple weeks since Zuko's 'fight' with his father, and the teen had left the capital city with Iroh after being banished by Ozai. There was a chance he could return though; however the requirement was the capture of the Avatar. Naruto couldn't help but compare Ozai to his Uchiha ancestor, Fugaku. Actually, when he thought about it more, Ozai was like Fugaku with his extreme expectance for a 'perfect' heir, Azula was like Sasuke with her arrogance and pride, and Zuko was like Itachi with his heart and his reluctance to fight unless it was unavoidable.

_'Indeed they are. Although, I am glad that Iroh was caring enough to follow his nephew out of the Fire Nation. Plus, Zuko will have plenty of opportunities to get a better hand at controlling his FireBending with Iroh's teachings.'_

**"While that is true, you can't deny that he has gained a negative aura about him ever since his father marked him as a failure."**

Naruto sighed at the truth behind the comment and pinched the bridge of his nose in irritation. _'Yes the boy had negativity forming in his heart, but can you blame him? We just saw him get burned, disowned, and banished by the one he called father. Fortunately, the negativity seems to be birthed from the want to prove himself to Ozai; much like Sasuke wished to prove himself to his father.'_

**"I assume that you plan to put a stop to it if his anger gets out of hand?"**

_'What do you think? One Sasuke incarnate is bad enough with Azula… We don't need a second one.'_

He was brought out of his internal conversation by Mai walking into the clearing. "Morning sensei," she greeted before sitting in front of him in a lotus position.

"Good morning. I believe that I have come up with a reasonable schedule for your second year of training." At her patient expression, Naruto continued, "The year will be divided into four segments. The first will be reviewing what you know and increasing you skills with the basics and simple battle tactics. To do this, I'll have you spar with a clone of mine."

"Do you really think I'll be able to keep up with you, sensei?" asked the girl with a deadpan stare.

"No, which is why my clone will not use any jutsu or chakra; only taijutsu. You will be allowed to use whatever you can at your disposal. Now, the second three month segment will be focused on teaching you how to use this," he said as he unsealed a small bow and a quiver of arrows. "I believe that you'll find this to be a very useful addition to your growing arsenal."

Mai slowly took the items from him and gave him a small smile in thanks. "So, we'll only focus on archery?"

"Of course not," he replied with a grin. "We can't let your other skills dwindle due to neglect, right?" She shook her head with a small smirk and he continued, "Your archery training will be after some morning exercises. Now, the third segment will be a focus on these."

Once again, he unsealed some items and handed them to her. They ended up being two scrolls with a symbol of a circle with a line equally dividing it on them. "What are these?"

"Those are my end of the agreement we made. They are the scrolls of the Nara Clan's history and their techniques. Simply put, they are your birthright, Mai."

Her eyes widened in shock before she stared back down at the scrolls in her hands. Her ancestral history was in the palms of her hands and it brought a small smile to her face.

"Thank you for these, sensei," she said gratefully.

"You don't need to thank me. It's as I said; they're yours by right. Alright, the final segment of our training will focus on the 'mission' aspect that shinobi and kunoichi go through."

She tilted her head in confusion and asked, "What do mean by that?"

He gave a small smirk and answered, "What I mean is that we will go on slightly dangerous tasks to have you get a better experience out in the field. We'll go after small rebel groups, everyday bandits, and a few wanted criminals that bounty hunters will be after. Sounds simple enough, right?"

She nodded and did a few stretches before Naruto sent her off to do her morning exercises. He left a clone with her to keep track of her progress while he went into the town square. There was something that he wanted the blacksmith of the city and he wanted them to get an early start on it.

Making his way there, he noticed that there were a few fliers for some sort of banquet in the governor's honor. Naruto was slightly interested since the governor was Mai's father and wondered if she would have to make an appearance for his sake. As he read the flier, he sensed Ty Lee's signature heading for his and merely waited for her to arrive.

It wasn't even a minute later before Ty Lee called out, "Hey Naruto! What are you reading?" Instead of a verbal reply, Naruto merely pointed to the flier and allowed the girl to read it. "Oh yea, the banquet… Apparently, Mai's dad is getting an increase in governmental control and the Fire Lord is throwing a banquet in his honor. It's strange though…"

"What is?" Naruto asked with a slightly raised brow.

"Well, Fire Lord Ozai never threw banquets for anyone else other than members of the Royal Family… So, seeing him throw one for Mai's dad is kinda strange…"

Naruto mentally agreed with the normally bubbly teen while the Kyuubi commented, **"If that's true, then this has to have something to do with Mai learning from you. Since she'll need to attend the banquet, Ozai will probably call her out on her studies and 'request' a demonstration."**

_'And when she demonstrates, he'll see if what she learned will have any benefit to Non-Bender Soldiers… He'll probably have her teach what she knows to them to increase his military strength.'_

**"Exactly…"** the fox said before it grinned. **"However, what if you were to make a 'surprise appearance'?"**

Mentally raising a brow, Naruto queried, _'And what good will my appearance do for Mai?'_

**"Think about it. With you there, you'll be able to keep her from backing herself into a corner by stating that she is not ready to teach; which you know is very true. Ozai is exactly like that old hawk Danzo from your time; using **_**any**_** means necessary to increase his militia. Using Mai, a fifteen year old girl, to pass on her hard-earned skills **_**en masse**_** is not beneath a man such as him."**

Naruto mentally nodded in agreement with the fox's arguments. _'That is true… I guess I'll need to get myself some formal wear as well as what I originally wanted.'_ After cutting the mental connection, Naruto noticed that Ty Lee was staring at him with a smile and a small blush. "Was there something you needed? Or did you just want to enjoy my thoughtful expression?" he asked with a small smirk causing her to sputter in embarrassment.

As he gave a small chuckle at her sputtering, Ty Lee asked, "So, are you gonna go to the banquet? Mai's most likely going, Azula is definitely going since her father is, and I'm going just so that I won't be left with nothing to do."

"I haven't decided yet," he lied before he began heading into the city with Ty Lee in tow. "I was never one for social gatherings, but I might go just so that I could support my student's family."

Ty Lee seemed to brighten up at that before she grabbed his hand, slightly surprising the blonde, and began to drag him to a seamstress. "Well then if you're going, we need to get you some nicer clothes. You can't go in _that_!"

"And why exactly can't I?"

Ty Lee turned around and placed her hands on her hips while giving him a stern look. Naruto was vaguely reminded of a certain purple-wearing blonde giving him a similar look many millenniums ago. "You can't go in that because it makes you look like you're about to go to war or something." Naruto just gave her a blank look at that and Ty Lee looked confused by it before what she said and _who_ exactly he was dawned on her and she gave him a sheepish look. "Well, you know what I mean."

Naruto shook his head exasperatedly before he complied. While he followed her, he silently made another clone and immediately dispelled it so that the clone with Mai would be updated on his whereabouts.

With Mai

While the Nara descendant was going through the last part of her exercises, the Naruto clone received the memories of the other clone and sighed at its creator's dilemma. He didn't think that the original Naruto would be doing something as mundane as shopping for formal wear but he wasn't going to argue about it. After all, it wasn't a bad idea to make a reasonable impression on the higher ups of the capital city.

He turned to Mai and saw her finishing up her final set of sit-ups before he stated, "That's enough for a while."

Mai took a few deep breaths to help ease her lungs and asked, "Why are we finishing so early, sensei?"

"The original me got dragged into shopping with Ty Lee for a banquet in your father's honor."

Mai sighed at that and turned away from her teacher. She sat on the ground with her knees brought up to her chest. "So you saw a flier?"

The clone raised a brow in confusion and felt her mood drop at her question. "Is there a problem with that? I thought you'd be happy for your father's success?"

She shook her head and replied, "I am happy for him, really… I just don't see why he always wants to work so much. He's never home for too long and when he is, he's still tired and busy. And with his new increase in influence, he'll be even busier."

The clone sighed at the girl's statement. Since Naruto grew up an orphan and alone, he never really had to worry so much about how much a family member worked or how long they were gone. He slowly made his way to the girl and placed a comforting hand on her shoulder and gave her a reassuring smile when she turned to him. "Well, this is your chance to talk to him and spend time with him before he gets too busy again. And besides, the original me was planning on going as well, so you won't be alone at the banquet."

Mai gave a small smile at the clone's words and gave him a nod in thanks. When she stood up, she asked, "So, do you think you could take me to him and Ty Lee? I better save him before she gets too into shopping for him," she stated with a smirk.

The clone shook his head with a smile and wordlessly gripped her shoulder again before the two disappeared in a swirl of wind and static.

With Naruto and Ty Lee

Naruto sighed as Ty Lee brought him various articles of clothing to try on and mentally debated using his Sharingan to put her to sleep for a bit. However, his conscience kept him from doing so and he was left with a bubbly teen in a clothing store.

He was brought out of his inner misery by the arrival of his clone and Mai. The clone, seeing his job done, smirked before dispelling and leaving the original to his fate. Naruto's eye twitched at his clone's antics and he grumbled about 'stupid smart-ass clones', making Mai snicker since she heard him.

"I see that Ty Lee has kept you busy?" she asked rhetorically with a smirk.

He sighed and retorted, "Yea, she can really be a handful." He then stood up from his seat near the changing rooms and flagged down the owner/seamstress of the store. Mai couldn't hear them, but she was able to see that the woman was slightly surprised by her teacher's request. Still, she nodded with a smile which Naruto returned and headed to the back, most likely to get started on the custom order.

"What'd you ask her to make you?" Ty Lee asked when he regrouped with them.

"Now that would be telling, Ty Lee," he replied with a grin making her pout. "C'mon, I still need to continue Mai's training for the day. You're welcome to watch if you want to, Ty Lee." As he led them back to the forest clearing, Naruto sent another clone to make the order he had originally planned on making at the smithy.

For the rest of the week, Naruto had Mai go through routine exercises and had her practice with her basic jutsu and skills as much as possible. He wanted her to be able to perform the skills and actions necessary in a moment's notice, so he had her spar with a clone that used nothing but restrained taijutsu. At first, Mai held her own with many hits received against her. However, as the week progressed, she began to time her jutsu better and dodge more. She still received a couple of hits, but she was progressing steadily.

After the week passed, it was finally the day of the banquet. It was to be held in a lavish dining hall that was easily the size of a large two story home. Mai was there early with her family and had to miss training for the day. She was dressed in a black kimono with a crimson trim and had a seamstress sew the Nara Clan symbol on the back of it. Her hair was styled the same as her kunoichi wear and she wore a black choker with a silver pendant on it. The pendant had a Yin-Yang design on it.

It was about an hour and a few guests arriving later before Ty Lee arrived with her parents. The teen was dressed in a red kimono with a dark pink trim on it while her hair was in its constant braided ponytail. She spotted Mai and immediately went up to her.

"Hey, sorry we were late but my mother took a while to get ready. Plus, my sisters helping her slowed us down as well."

Mai nodded in understanding. It wasn't that much of a surprise that Ty Lee's five other sisters wanted to help their mother. She was still surprised that the woman was able to tell the sextuplets apart from one another.

Ty Lee looked around and commented, "Naruto's not here yet… I wonder what's taking him so long."

Mai looked around as well and her mood fell slightly when she didn't see the blonde. "Sensei doesn't have to come. My father's success doesn't concern him, so it's okay," she said, though Ty Lee caught the slightly sullen tone of her voice.

The girl tried to come up with a way to cheer her up, but she was interrupted by the arrival of Ozai and Azula. Everyone was informed of the arrival of the Fire Lord since he never left the Palace without a 4-guard escort. While he greeted people, Azula made her way to her friends.

"Hello girls. I'm sure you must be happy about your father's newest success, Mai?" greeted the princess casually.

Mai gave a small nod while she watched her father bow deeply to Ozai and offer his gratitude to the Fire Lord for the promotion.

Suddenly, many gasps were heard and the music played by a hired band stopped as a certain blonde stepped into the hall. He wore a dark orange kimono with a black trim, a black vest with the Uzumaki symbol on the back, and wore the Uzu Medallion on a silver chain around his neck. His hair was still the same but he still looked incredibly presentable and regal if the blushing faces of many women in the room were anything to go by.

"I-Is that Naruto?" asked a shocked Ty Lee who had a large blush on her face. Azula stared in shock as well since he emitted an aura of authority as he stepped into the hall.

Mai gazed at her sensei with a small blush and a slightly agape mouth. She had to admit that Naruto looked incredibly handsome, plus seeing him here greatly brought up her mood. _'He actually came,'_ she thought with a small smile.

Naruto stepped through the crowd and approached the surprised father of his student. Bowing low, he greeted, "Nara-san, it is my honor to be here to congratulate you on your newest promotion. I'm sure you'll do the Fire Nation and its people proud with your diligence."

The man slowly shook himself out of his shock and bowed back to him. "Lord Naruto, I thank you for gracing us with your presence and I thank you for your kind words." As they both stood up straight from their bows, the man continued, "I also wish to thank you for teaching my daughter how to better defend herself. I admit that I was skeptical at first, but I have seen that your teachings have done her well."

Mai's mother stepped forward and bowed as well. "I also wish to express my gratitude, Lord Naruto. Mai has never shown much interest in anything, but I see that she is putting her all into your teachings. Thank you for teaching her, Lord Naruto."

Naruto gave the woman a small smile and replied, "It is my pleasure to teach her. Mai is an incredible student and has learned a great deal already. You both should be proud."

Ozai internally smirked at this opportunity and stepped forward. "Yes, I have heard many things concerning your student Lord Naruto. Perhaps she could give us a demonstration of her skills sometime?"

Naruto narrowed his eyes slightly before asking, "What exactly did you have in mind for this 'demonstration', Ozai?"

The Fire Lord hid his annoyance at the obvious lack of respect and offered, "I propose that at the end of this year, you have your student go up against a small group of my FireBenders. Seeing as how she is taught by you, whose skills are legendary, she should not have too much problems doing so." He then gave a small, challenging smirk and continued, "And besides, weren't the people of your time used to going up against forces that outnumbered your own on a daily basis?"

Naruto silently stood in thought before he turned to his student who was watching in slight worry. He had planned for Mai to get some combat experience, but not against actual FireBenders of Ozai. He silently beckoned her over and she complied, standing next to her sensei in front of the Fire Lord. "Your request will only be accepted if my student chooses to do so. I cannot speak for her, Ozai; it is her decision."

When her sensei turned to her, waiting for her answer, she took a calming breath and stated, "I believe that… I could accept the request made by Lord Ozai, sensei."

Naruto sent her a slightly worried glance before he nodded slowly. "Very well… My student shall demonstrate her skills against your FireBenders at the end of this year, Ozai."

Ozai gave a smug grin and replied, "Excellent. I will make sure to have my soldiers prepare for the upcoming event. In the meantime, let us resume the banquet."

With that last statement, the band resumed playing and the guests went back to their socializing; however, the main topic for discussion was the demonstration of the student of the Hero of the Flame at the end of the year. Many guests were discussing how they thought she would do and if she'd even survive against her FireBending opponents. Mai was growing more and more nervous as she heard the murmurs, but Naruto calmed her by placing a reassuring hand on her shoulder.

When she turned to him, he gave her a small smile and stated, "Don't let what people say get to you. All you need to worry about is making sure that your training goes well. But, training can wait since this night is for your father's success. Just enjoy yourself tonight and we'll resume training tomorrow." When she nodded n both understanding and thanks, he let go of her shoulder and made his way to the gardens outside. Tonight was a full moon and the ethereal glow of the lunar sphere always mesmerized him.

Mai watched her teacher head outside and was about to follow him before she was asked to dance. Internally scowling at being kept from talking to Naruto, she politely accepted the offer. She had to present herself as a 'perfect daughter' tonight since it was her father's night.

Out in the gardens, Naruto sat on a stone bench and gazed at the moon letting the light bathe him in its luminous glow. _'I still can't believe that the Juubi's entire body was sealed into the moon by the Rikudo Sennin… Does that mean that the one Obito tried to form would have been nothing more than a copy?'_

**"No… It would have been an entirely new Juubi. You forget that the other Bijuu came from the Juubi's youki, so if Obito had succeeded in his plans, he would have birthed a new Juubi."**

_'Is there another way to make the Juubi, Kurama?'_

The fox dragged Naruto into the mindscape and narrowed its eyes at the blonde. **"Why are you asking about things like that all of a sudden? You had better not be thinking of reforming the Juubi."**

"Of course I'm not thinking of that! I would never recreate the very thing that Obito killed my friends for!" Naruto retorted while glaring at the fox. "I just need to know so that I can try to prevent it. If you know of any way that the Juubi could come back, I need to know now."

The fox sighed in both relief and slight exhaustion before giving its host a blank stare. **"There is another way. In fact, I believe that the Avatar was made so that they could stop this other method."**

"What is it? The Avatar is supposed to maintain balance in the world… So is the other method complete chaos?"

**"Close… The final method to restore the Juubi needs three things. First, negative energy must fill the world with its influence, and the closest way to do that is…"**

"…a world-scale war," Naruto finished. "So, Obito was actually closer than he thought at restoring the Juubi, huh?"

**"Yes he was… In fact, that damned Uchiha was so close that I had extreme doubts that we'd be able to stop him in time. Anyway, the second thing needed is a container to hold that negativity. It can range from the ****Gedō Mazō**** to an empty shell of a human… The size won't matter since the container will change into the form needed."**

"…And the final thing?" Naruto asked hesitantly.

**"…The final thing needed is a massive influx of youki that has the essences of the other Bijuu."**

Naruto gave a small sigh in relief and asked, "So we don't have to worry right?" The fox remained silent at the question. "Kurama… Do we have need to worry?"

The Kyuubi sighed once more and gazed at its host in all seriousness. **"Bijuu don't die, Naruto… When we are 'killed', we merely return to the Spiritual Realm in the form of energy used to stabilize it. However, while our energy stabilizes the realm, it can also be harvested and used for…other means."**

Naruto's eyes widened in shock and fear at the Kyuubi's statement. "So, you're telling me that the inhabitants of the Spiritual Realm have had about 5000 years to harvest the youki of the other eight Bijuu?"

**"…Yes, that is **_**exactly**_** what I am telling you, Kit."**

Naruto lost the strength in his legs and plopped down onto a piece of rubble in shock. "The world can't handle the return of the Juubi… It will destroy the world _long_ before anyone has the chance to stop it."

**"There is a bright side to this, Kit."** When its host turned his gaze to the fox, Kurama continued, **"The new host for the Juubi lacks my youki to fully stabilize it and make it whole. We have time to find the host and destroy it before the Juubi is reformed."**

"But, we have no means to enter the Spiritual Realm… That means that…"

**"…we need to find the current Avatar and prepare them for what's to come. If they cannot defeat the host, then we need to have them make the host go from the Spiritual Realm to the Physical Realm."**

Naruto sighed at that before he gave a hollow chuckle. "Figures… I leave our time because I felt that there was no need for Jinchuriki and to escape the duties I accepted as the Child of Prophecy, only to find that the time we arrived to needs our help the most… Life sure is strange, isn't it Kurama?"

The Kyuubi chuckled as well and replied, **"Indeed it is, Kit."**

Suddenly, Naruto felt someone trying to contact him from outside of his mind and he nodded to the fox before leaving the mindscape. When his eyes opened, he saw Mai sitting next to him and gazing at the full moon. "You left me to deal with a bunch of troublesome people, sensei."

Naruto gave a small chuckle and questioned, "And what exactly made these people 'troublesome'?"

"They all wanted to dance with me just so that they could ask how to get on my father's good side. They see me as a connection to him so that they could move up in the world." She then sighed and continued, "They didn't even talk to me like I was my own person…"

Naruto shook his head at the selfishness of ambitious people and placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder. "For what it's worth Mai, I see you as a strong, intelligent, and beautiful young woman that has the potential to become someone greatly respected and admired one day. I see you as Mai Nara, my apprentice and my friend."

Mai turned to him in surprise and saw him give her a warm smile. It warmed her heart that he actually saw her as a person and in her mind, she made a mental promise to show that what he thought of her would be proven true one day. "Thank you…Naruto."

Naruto kept his smile while he returned his gaze to the moon. "Don't mention it, Mai." From the inside, the two heard the band play a slow song that was perfect to dance to. Naruto's smile turned into a small grin as he stood up and offered a hand to his student. "May a teacher have the honor of dancing with his student?" he asked in a slightly joking tone.

Mai smiled to him while taking his offered hand. "Of course he may," she stated in the same tone.

The blonde led her to an open area of the gardens and took her left hand in his right while placing his left at her waist. She grabbed his right hand while placing her right hand on his left shoulder before the two began to slowly move to the rhythm of the music. They stepped with the beat, he spun her a few times, and he twirled her one time. Unknown to Mai, Ty Lee was watching them through one of the windows with a smile on her face. Naruto noticed her but paid the bubbly teen no mind.

After dancing for about ten minutes, they finally slowed their steps to a halt before Naruto pulled away from her and gave the teen a formal bow. "I thank you for the honor of dancing with you, Lady Mai," he said with a small grin showing her that he was merely teasing her.

Mai smiled back to him and played along with him. "I'm pleased that you enjoyed yourself, Lord Naruto."

Naruto then gave her a slightly serious look and said, "Tomorrow, we're going to step up your training a bit. We need to prepare you for your 'demonstration' at the end of the year." At her nod, he finished, "For now, just enjoy the time you have with your father. I'll see you tomorrow." The blonde then dissolved into a flock of ravens that disappeared into the night leaving Mai alone in the gardens with the moon shining down on her.

The Next Day

True to his word, Naruto had begun Mai's second year of training by increasing her weights and having her perform her exercises to get used to them. It took most of the morning before Mai was able to move at a decent level with the newly added weight. He then had her spar with a clone and she performed adequately. However, she was still letting herself get hit too much for Naruto's liking. Even with his clone lowering its speed to low Chunin level, Mai still had trouble holding it off. He hoped that she would see her mistakes and learn from them before they moved on to her archery training.

Three Months Later (Second Segment of Training)

It was the beginning of archery for the student of the last Uzumaki. She had just finished her morning exercises and stood next to her teacher who had his own bow and quiver of arrows. Away from them were three targets at distances of 10, 25, and 35 yards. The targets had three colors: a red outer ring, a black inner ring, and a yellow circle in the center indicating the bull's eye.

"So… I'm assuming the goal is to hit the bull's eye?" she asked him and he surprisingly shook his head negatively.

"No, the goal right now is for you to at least hit the target set at 25 yards. Getting bull's eyes will come later when you've gained more experience." He then pulled out an arrow from his quiver with his right hand and held the bow firmly in his left. "Now, archery is about finesse, not strength. You need to be calm and focused or else your shots will be wild and may hit your allies."

She nodded and watched as her teacher readied his arrow on the nock of the bow. He then grabbed the end with his pointer and middle fingers and used the butt of the arrow to pull back the string with the help of his ring finger. He pulled back slowly while his eye never left his target. During the draw of the string, she heard him take a deep breath in and heard him release the breath at the same time her released the arrow. The projectile flew through the air and hit the dead center of the target at 25 yards.

"You saw what I was doing the whole time, right?" At her nod he asked, "What was I doing?"

"You kept calm and your breathing was even throughout the shot. You also held your breath on the draw and released it when you fired the arrow."

"Very good… Now, I want you to try and get as close to the center of the 10 yard target. Take your time and be sure to stay calm."

Mai nodded and grabbed an arrow from the quiver. She then placed it on the nock and grabbed the end with her pointer and middle fingers. Using the bottom of the arrow, she pulled back the string with the help of her ring finger. She pulled back slowly while trying to maintain eye contact with her target. She took a deep breath in as she pulled and held it in while steadying the bow and arrow. As she released, she released the breath and watched as her arrow hit the middle of the red ring.

She gave a small scowl in annoyance while Naruto commented, "That was good. Much better than I had originally thought you'd do. You're off to a good start, Mai. You just need to practice more."

She nodded and readied another arrow to fire. This kept up for the rest of the day with her getting slightly closer t the black ring, but still remaining in the red ring. She kept up at it for three months with Naruto giving her pointers whenever he saw her struggling. By the end of the first month, she was able to get the bull's eye for the 10 yard target two out of five times.

The second month had her take a shot at the 25 yard target whenever she hit a bull's eye for the 10 yard one. Just like the first target, she started out slow with the second target and at the end of the second month, she was only able to get a 25 yard bull's eye one out of five times.

During the third month, Mai had progressed to the point of hitting a 10 yard bull's eye 4 out of five times and focused on the 25 and 35 yard targets. It was a slow and steady progress with some frustration from Mai at the difficulty, but she pulled through the month decently. At 25 yards, she was able to score a bull's eye three out of five times while scoring two out of five bull's eyes for the 35 yard target.

Third Segment of Training

Naruto had shifted the schedule for Mai for the next three months of her training. Since he was not a Nara and did not learn how to perform the shadow based techniques, he allowed Mai to go about it on her own with him giving her insight based on his experiences working with Shikamaru in the past. She still performed her morning exercises and trained in archery for an hour a day, but the remainder of the day was focused on the Nara Scrolls.

The Nara Clan used their techniques in accordance with both their shadows and the shadows of their opponents and surroundings. The shadows could hold a person still, strangle them, stab into them, or even be used like tentacles to grab objects. What interested Mai was the fact that the jutsu only used a single handseal, but the level of difficulty increased the level of concentration needed. The handseal was the 'rat' seal which had the user wrap their hand around the middle and pointer fingers of their right hand held in a half 'ram' seal.

The techniques on the scroll were _Kagemane_ (Shadow Imitation), _Kage Kubishibari_ (Shadow Strangle), _Kage Nui_ (Shadow Stitching), and _Kageyose_ (Shadow Gathering).

Seeing as almost all of the jutsu needed a human target, Naruto made a clone for Mai to practice on. The first month was focused on the _Kagemane_ and the _Kage Kubishibari_. For the first two weeks of the month, Mai trained in extending her shadow and attaching it to the clone's shadow. It came easier than she thought it would to her since the shadow moved across the ground to her will. The last two weeks were harder for her since she was practicing moving her shadow from the ground to wrapping around another person. At first, it took all of her concentration to have the shadow merely wrap around the ankles of the clone her teacher made. Though as the weeks progressed, she was able to steadily decrease the amount of concentration needed until it took all of her concentration to completely wrap her shadow to about the upper torso of the clone. It was incredibly draining on her, but Naruto explained that it was much harder wrapping a chakra based technique against someone with chakra, let alone around someone with higher reserves than hers.

The second month was focused on the _Kage Nui_ technique. It took the _Kagemane_ a step further by having her shadow split into many different parts and become solid enough to stab into her target to hold them into place. For the first half of the month, Mai focused on having her shadow stay whole as she stabbed into a Naruto clone. Like the _Kage Kubishibari_, it was incredibly difficult for her to make her shadow change from a silhouette to a physical form. At the end of two weeks, she was able to make it rise and attempt a single stab before she lost focus and had her shadow drop back into the ground.

Seeing her have this much trouble with it, Naruto had Mai hold off on learning the _Kageyose_ and spend the remaining month and a half focusing on the first three techniques. She easily saw the logic in the suggestion and complied. With her remaining time focused on those three techniques, she was able to bring them up to the level of a low Chunin Nara member.

The final segment of her training was once again focused on an overview of what she already knew. Naruto wanted her to get experience on simple missions, but he felt that bringing her skills up to at least mid Chunin level was the smarter choice for Mai since she'd be going up against experienced FireBenders.

The first month focused on her fighting tactics, the basic three jutsu, and physical training. The second month focused on her archery bringing up to the point that she increased her bull's eye count by one on each target. The last month was spent on increasing her Nara techniques to mid Chunin capability.

The year was up for Mai and now she was to show the fruits of her labor.

Outer Arena of Royal Palace

Mai stood next to her sensei, prepped and ready in her kunoichi gear while her sense stood next to her in something new to his attire. Over his clothes, Naruto had on black armor with a rust orange trim that was reminiscent of the ones worn by the samurai. The armor was constructed from numerous metal plates that were formed into multiple protective guards along his body. In particular, the armor focused on the chest, waist, shoulders and thighs but left his back entirely exposed (1). Over the armor was his Gama Sennin cloak while his Uzu hiate hung around his neck.

Ozai stepped forward from his seat to address the crowd waiting for the demonstration to commence. "People of the Fire Nation Capital, it is my privilege to present to you all this demonstration of the student of Naruto Uzumaki against a group of five FireBenders under my command. I hope you all enjoy what she has to offer you today."

The crowd cheered in excitement as he returned to his seat. Naruto leaned his head to Mai's ear and whispered, "Don't worry, you'll do just fine. You faster, craftier, and have many abilities that they can only dream of. Just do your best, Mai. I have faith in you."

Mai gave her teacher a confident smile and nodded before she turned to face her opponents. Naruto took a couple steps back and resolved to step in if he saw that his student was in overwhelmed.

The six combatants each got into ready stances and awaited the signal to begin. Ozai turned to the person that was to ring the gong and nodded. The servant nodded back and hit the gong with all his might initiating the start of the battle.

As soon as the gong rang, two of the FireBenders punched forward and released streams of fire at Mai who pumped chakra into her feet and disappeared in a small burst of speed. When she reappeared, she released a volley of shuriken at her opponents who all rolled out of the way.

Mai then flew through handseals and formed four basic _Bunshin_ around her, surprising the audience. She then had her clones head for separate targets while she readied a kunai and ran for her own target. Like she predicted, the soldiers panicked and blasted fire at the clones, making them fade out of existence when the fire passed through them. The real Mai dodged the fireball sent her way and continued rushing her target. As he readied another Bending strike, she once again disappeared from his view. The next thing he knew was a blow to the back of his head before he fell unconscious with Mai standing behind his prone form.

The remaining FireBenders all shot flames at Mai and they hit home, shocking the spectators. Naruto smirked at that and it grew at the sound of many people gasping in shock at the sight of a completely burnt rock where Mai was.

While the FireBenders stared at the scene in confusion, Mai pulled out some smoke bombs and threw them from her position behind another large rock. When the bombs detonated, the smoke blocked the vision from them and from the spectators while Mai faded from view in it. The Benders slowly tried to make their way out of the smoke, but it was too thick to see through. After a couple of minutes, the smoke cleared and showed Mai and a FireBender standing over two more knocked out soldiers while the remaining two stood next to one another.

Unknown to them, the Mai the saw was another _Bunshin_ that faded away while the real Mai had used _Henge_ to transform into the FireBender.

"Damn it, where'd she go?" asked one of the real Benders.

"I don't know… Hey, did you see where she went?" the second one asked his 'fellow' Bender.

"Yea, I did," Mai replied in a male voice due to the _Henge_.

"Then where is she?" asked the first.

Mai simply crouched down with her hands in the 'rat' seal as her shadow stretched towards them and split into two streaks before latching onto their own, freezing them into place. She then released the _Henge_ in a small plume of smoke and answered, "She's right in front of you."

The two soldiers tried to move, but their bodies were too frozen to do so. Mai smirked at that and took out two kunai. The soldiers' bodies made the same motion, but since they did not have weapon pouches, they merely grasped at air. The Nara then threw her kunai at them, but made sure that the ring-handled end would hit them. Once again, the jutsu forced the two soldiers to perform the same actions, but they threw nothing while the kunai smacked into their helmeted heads. When they hit, a loud ringing sound echoed through the helmet and disoriented them enough for Mai to know them both out with chops to the back of their necks.

As soon as the bodies fell to the floor, the arena was filled with silence until the sound of one man clapping broke through it. Naruto was the one doing so since he was incredibly proud of his student for her performance. She had used good battle tactics, showed her prowess in the basic jutsu as well as the Nara Clan jutsu, and she came out unscathed. _'Yes… I believe that she will most certainly go far in her life.'_

The Kyuubi chuckled inside the mindscape and commented, **"Yes, I think so too."**

Once the spectators broke out of their shock, they began clapping and cheering for Mai and her impressive performance. The ones who cheered loudest were Ty Lee and Mai's parents. Naruto appeared next to his student in a _Shunshin_ and wrapped an arm around her shoulders. "See? I knew you'd do well, Mai."

Mai gave a small smile at the cheering and her teacher's words and took it all in proudly. She had accomplished something today and was slowly proving that Naruto's faith in her was not misplaced.

In his seat, Ozai smirked at the display from Mai and already had some plans for the teen forming in his mind. _'With an army of people like her, the Fire Nation will easily win the war! I have to find some way to make her teach what she knows to my soldiers… Either that or I find a way to have her beloved teacher do so… The only question that remains is how…'_

Naruto tensed at the feeling of foreboding and turned his gaze to Ozai. His eyes narrowed at the man and he mentally promised to keep Mai out of Ozai's clutches.

And if Ozai tried to force Mai into something, he'd put a stop to it…no matter what.

(End)

1~ Think Madara's armor but in a different color scheme

And that was chapter four! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the future chapters to come! If you have any questions or concerns, PM me!

Again, I apologize to you all for taking so long to update. My COM is an ass...

Now please: Review! Review! Review!

**Current ages:**

**Naruto:** (physical) 26; (actual) 5115

**Ozai:** 44

**Iroh:** 63

**Lo and Li:** 80

**Fire Nation Girls:** 16

**Zuko:** 17

**Aang:** (physical) 12; (actual) 111

Next Time: Way of the Shinobi Year Three! One more year before the canon events begin! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	5. Chapter 5: Shinobi Way Yr 3

Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the next chapter of "Mai's Teacher"!

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto or Avatar the Last AirBender

This is it! The last chapter before the canon storyline begins! Also, at the bottom will be assessments of Naruto and Mai's abilities ranked in strength since some people have asked for them. I held off on the assessments until after the three years of training were over.

"Speech"

_'__Thoughts'_

**"Higher Being Speech"**

**_'__Higher Being Thoughts'_**

"_Jutsu_"

(Technique Translations)

Scene or Time Change/Chapter Name

Chapter 5: Shinobi Way Year 3

About three months and two weeks after Mai showed her demonstration to the people of the capital, she and Naruto exited the ship that had taken them to one of the Fire Nation Colonies of the Earth Kingdom. The reason they were there was because they had finally begun to do missions to increase Mai's experience as well as allow her to see the world outside of the Fire Nation.

The mission was requested by an anonymous client who wished to speak to them in a small town called Hera that was near the Colony they deported at. Along the way, Naruto warned Mai that missions with anonymous clientele should always be taken with suspicion and caution. If they did not know their client, then they could be walking into a potential trap. Mai took his words to heart and kept her eyes open for anything suspicious while he led her through the Colony.

Before they arrived, Naruto had spent three months with his student helping her find her elemental affinity. At first, she was confused and thought that it would be fire, considering where she was born. Naruto immediately shot down that assumption when he informed her that, even though he was born in Hi no Kuni, he had affinities for wind, the rarest of the country, and lightning, the second rarest. When she asked if that was all he could use, his answer surprised her.

"I may have affinities for those two, but that doesn't mean I can't use the other three. You should be able to do the same, but the element you are aligned with will be much easier to utilize."

The immediate problem Naruto had with finding out Mai's affinity was that he had no chakra paper to see what it was. Thankfully, Kurama had a solution which was basically the same as when Naruto was helping Mai unlock her chakra.

Naruto placed a thumb on her forehead and her naval, much to her embarrassment, and let Kurama take over his body to sense out the affinity. To Mai, she found herself back in her sensei's mindscape and saw Naruto gazing at the happy people of Uzu in sadness while Kurama had two tail tips where Naruto's thumbs once were.

After what felt like ten minutes, Kurama finally spoke up. **"You have a single affinity for lightning. Lucky for you that Naruto has quite a bit of knowledge on that affinity; especially since he was nearly killed by one in his youth."**

That shocked the Nara descendant. "How did he almost die?" she asked hesitantly while watching her teacher as he continued gazing at his people.

The fox turned its gaze to its host and sighed. **"It was by the one he once saw as a friend, a rival, and a brother in all but blood. Instead of me telling you," **it then pointed a tail at one of the whirlpools and finished, **"look for yourself."**

Mai heeded the fox's words and gazed into the whirlpool which showed her the events of Naruto trying to stop Sasuke at the Valley of the End when the Uchiha was attempting to go to Orochimaru. She saw every detail of the fight from the words exchanged, to the blows dealt, and finally the finishing clash they had near the waterfall. Seeing Naruto change the trajectory of his attack from a killing blow to simply scratching the Uchiha's hiate made her respect for the blonde increase. Even when his friend expressed his desire to kill her sensei for power, Naruto still put their friendship above victory.

Unknown to her, Naruto had walked up next to her and watched the final clash between himself and his old teammate. "I should have stopped him that day," he said, making his presence known to her. "I could have if I wasn't so naïve and foolish. I once thought that everyone had the chance to change and better their lives, but I was wrong. It took me nearly my entire life before the end of the 4th Great War to finally see that there are some people who cannot change because they are too far gone. Sasuke was one of them, along with Obito."

Mai turned to her teacher sadly and asked, "Is there any hope, sensei, for true peace? You fought for peace for a long time, but it never came. Do you deny its existence now?"

Naruto was silent at the question while Kurama mentally praised the girl for the depth of her question and how close to home it hit Naruto.

"There never really was much hope back then…" Naruto answered truthfully before he gave a small smile. "Just a fool's hope, and back then I was the fool the world needed. However, I'm not sure if this time needs, or even deserves, my help; especially when the Avatar is absent from their duties. At least the world made a replacement for me when I sealed myself away. How can it make a replacement for the _initial_ replacement?"

Mai nodded at the answer before she and Naruto got to work training her in Raiton chakra. The first thing Naruto had her do was learn something he felt would be extremely beneficial to her training: learn the _Kage Bunshin_. Mai was surprised that he would teach her something as useful as that, but Naruto reminded the girl that as his apprentice, he planned to teach her as much as he could from his skills.

It took half a month for Mai to successfully complete the jutsu, but she was only able to make two clones at the most before she felt incredibly drained. For the training, Naruto had her only use one clone to lessen the chakra and mental strain. Her first task was to use Raiton chakra to magnetize two small pieces of metal together. With the clone's help, she was able to get it down in a little more than a month, leaving her with about a month and a half to learn the next step. Said step of her training was creating a current of lightning from one hand to the other using pure Raiton chakra. She started from the tip of her middle finger, through her arm, down to her naval which was the main source of chakra, up to the next arm, and to the tip of her other middle finger (1).

It was extremely difficult for her to do this step, and even at the end of the month and a half she wasn't quite there yet. Naruto had her practice it more during their two week boat ride to the Fire Nation Colony and she progressed a little more, but not by much. She was able to send the current from her fingertip to her stomach, but bringing it back up the other arm was the challenging part for her.

Unfortunately, she was unable to continue her training seeing as she and her teacher had arrived in the town where they would meet their client. They were to meet them in a small pub in the town for the details concerning their mission, much to Naruto's annoyance since pubs and bars were where the most deceptions happen on anonymous missions. As the duo stepped into the pub, they saw that it was mostly empty save for the bartender, a few patrons, and a cloaked individual sitting at a table in a darkened corner. The figure beckoned them over and master and apprentice sat across from them.

"I appreciate you accepting my request, Lord Uzumaki," said the figure in an older feminine voice.

"A job's a job," he replied simply, "even if we are unaware of the _identity_ of our client."

"Forgive me for the secrecy; however I cannot reveal myself to you just yet. All I can show you to prove that I am trustworthy is this," she replied while showing Naruto a Pai-Sho tile in the design of a lotus flower.

Naruto and Mai stared at the game piece before Naruto nodded to the woman, much to Mai's confusion. "While this helps, I need more. So, answer me this: who knocks at the Guarding Gate?"

The woman's reply was immediate, "One who has eaten the Fruit and tasted its Mysteries."

Once again, Mai was left confused while Naruto relaxed his guard slightly. "Alright, I'll hear you out. What is it you need done?"

"A friend of mine is to be hung at dawn tomorrow in front of the people of Terrachia Town about 20 miles from here. I have tried to appeal her case, but they refuse to listen to me."

"What case and who is 'they'?"

"She was accused of murder and treason against the mayor of the town. But I know that she's innocent! She was on her way to Terrachia on the night of the murder; at least 2 miles away from the city. She couldn't have done it! But the people of the town are too caught up in finding an outlet for their anger at the death of their mayor that their willing to hang her unjustly."

"I assume that you want us to not only stop her hanging, but find the real killer?"

"If you do find the real killer, then that will be all the more helpful. However, my main request is saving her from death."

Naruto nodded and turned to his apprentice. "What are your thoughts on this?"

Mai took some time to quietly think it over while the cloaked woman smiled fondly beneath her cloak. She couldn't believe how beautiful Mai had become since seeing her so many years ago as a young girl. Thinking about that made the woman think back on how Ty Lee, Azula, and Zuko were doing. She missed the children greatly and wondered if Zuko had finally gained the recognition he wanted from his father. She gave a quiet sigh at her musings before she shook herself out of her thoughts. Unknown to her, Naruto had sensed her emotions and was curious as to what exactly her connection was with his student and her friends.

"I think we should do it, sensei. I can't just sit by knowing I could've done something for this woman," Mai answered after going over the mission details.

Naruto nodded at his student before turning attention back to the cloaked woman. "Alright, we'll get your friend out of there."

"Thank you for this, Lord Uzumaki. I promise to pay you for your assistance as soon as you bring her back safely."

"Of course… By the way, we need the name of your friend so that we know who to look for."

"Yes of course. Her name if Eva, a young nurse from the Earth Kingdom. Please bring her back safely."

The two shinobi nodded before departing for Terrachia Town.

Near Dawn the Next Day (Terrachia Town Square)

In the center of the town, a young woman with black hair and forest green eyes stood next to a rope noose with her wrists and ankles bound. Her face was covered in dirt and grime while her once decent clothes were reduced to rags. Her eyes were puffy from recent tears spilt and her aura read someone who had lost hope. The people yelling for her death did not care though. All they wanted was to see the 'murderer' of their beloved mayor hung.

Up in a tree near the edge of the town square, Naruto stood next to Mai who had an arrow readied in her bow. They watched on as the executioner put the loose rope around Eva's neck and readied to knock the stool out from under her feet. Naruto immediately saw where Mai should aim at: the knot in the rope that was about 6 inches above Eva's head. He gave a sideways glance to his student and saw her adjust her aim for the knot as well, making him mentally praise her. However, he saw her hesitate slightly with the arrow.

"Relax Mai, you can do this. It's a clean shot," he reassured her.

He saw her struggle slightly with her aim before asking what the issue was. "I'm worried," she answered nervously. "I mean, what if I hit her?"

Naruto gave a small smile at her dilemma and placed a comforting hand on her back. "You can do this Mai. I know you won't hit her because I have faith in you. Now, just relax. It's one clean motion; no hesitation."

She nodded before readying her arrow again and releasing it. The projectile flew through the air before the tip sliced through the knot above Eva. Due to her surprise at this and her loss of balance, she began to fall backward off of the stool. Naruto took this chance to disappear from the tree and catch Eva in a burst of speed. Everyone in the square, besides Mai, looked on in shock at what had just happened while Eva had a blush on her face at the sight of her savior.

The guards shook themselves out of their shock and readied their weapons around the spiky blonde. "You there, release that woman so that she may pay for her crimes!" ordered one of them.

Naruto gave them a bored look before a copy of him and Eva appeared behind the guards and townsfolk. As the one surrounded by the guards faded into nothingness, the guards all flew back as if they were hit by invisible blows. Eva looked on in amazement at what her savior did before she began to feel dizzy and passed out from the mix of high speed and lack of food. The townsfolk foolishly decided to try and take the blonde down themselves after seeing the guards get knocked aside, but they were stopped when Mai appeared in front of Naruto with an arrow drawn and aimed at the people.

"Not another step closer," she ordered with her eyes narrowed.

Naruto turned to the people and stated, "You all truly are fools… To falsely accuse a woman who had no chance to kill you mayor just so that you could have a way to vent out your anger… Disgraceful…" He then glared at them with a small burst of killing intent, making them all freeze in fear. "Here's some advice: before you start accusing, look into _all_ of the facts so that innocent people like this woman in my arms don't get killed unjustly."

With his final piece said, he told Mai to grab onto his arm before the three of them disappeared in a swirl of wind and static.

When they reappeared near the outskirts of Hera, Naruto immediately began performing medical jutsu on Eva to fix any broken bones or injuries she had received during her confinement. He was relieved to see that the worst thing she had was slight malnourishment which could easily be remedied with some food. After healing her up, he began to carry her into town with Mai in tow.

Once they reached the center of town, the cloaked woman from before ran to them to check on her friend. When Naruto informed her of all that had happened, the woman led them to a small hotel where she was staying and had them lay Eva down on the bed in her room. Once she knew her friend was okay, she turned to Naruto and Mai and bowed to them.

"I can't thank you enough for your help. I hope this will be sufficient payment?" she asked while handing them a small bag of coins. Naruto looked inside and counted about 20 silver pieces before nodding to the woman.

"Yes, this will do just fine. If that is all, then we need to be getting back," Naruto stated as he and Mai made their way out of the room.

"Wait please!" called out the woman before they reached the door. When they turned around, Mai gasped in shock at the revealed identity of the woman.

"L-Lady Ursa…" she whispered.

Ursa appeared to be a healthy looking woman with black hair tied in a single tail, amber eyes like many other citizens of the Fire Nation, and a caring aura. To Naruto and his empathic senses, the aura felt incredibly motherly and subconsciously reminded him of how it felt when he met his mother Kushina for the first time. He had also heard of the banished wife of Ozai through gossip around the town and from Mai herself when she told him about the current events of the world a couple years back.

"So… The lost mother of Zuko was our client. I have to say, I was not expecting this in the slightest," he commented.

Ursa gave Mai a kind smile and commented, "It's good to see you again after so long, Mai. And I'm impressed with your growth. Of course, that goes without saying since Lord Uzumaki here is your teacher."

"Please, Ursa-san, do not call me 'Lord'… That title is reserved for the Kami and the Spirits themselves. No mortal should ever hold it."

"Is that why you don't refer to Ozai by that title?" asked Mai.

"No, the reason I don't refer to him as such is because Ozai is a manipulative bastard who would put honor and status above family. That man does not deserve his position or my respect," he answered before turning to Ursa. "No offence to you, Ursa-san."

"No offence taken, since I agree with you completely," she replied much to Mai's surprise. "I loved Ozai once, but after marrying him and seeing the future my children would live in, I couldn't believe who I had married. I hold no love for Ozai, but I do still care for my children."

"I'm pleased to see that you feel that way, Ursa-san. Especially since your son has been banished for over a year due to 'dishonoring' his father during a war meeting."

Ursa gasped in shock at the news and asked worriedly, "Is he alright? Is he safe?"

"I wouldn't know seeing as I've been focused on training Mai here. However, you should know that Zuko was burned and scarred by Ozai during an Agni Kai in front of many people in the capital. Iroh has gone with him as he searches for the Avatar in hopes of 'regaining' his lost honor."

The banished mother lost strength in her legs and sat down in a chair in shock. "My little Zuko…" she whispered while a stray tear fell down her cheek.

Mai's heart went out to her friend's mother and she consoled the woman with a comforting embrace. Ursa broke down in Mai's arms while Naruto quietly waited for the woman to calm herself. Due to his empathic ability, he felt waves of sadness and anguish roll off of the woman and he silently wondered if his mother felt the same as she told him her final words before the Kyuubi was sealed into him.

'_I guess I will never know… I can't return to the past and even if I was able to…I probably wouldn't since the man I am now would have never existed if I did so…_

"**If it makes you feel better, your parents showed nothing but love and regret before they died. Their love for you was unparalleled as was the regret of not being able to stay with you,"** commented the fox to its container.

Naruto gave a soft smile at that and replied, _'Yea, it actually does make me feel better…'_

After Ursa had calmed down, Naruto and Mai told her of what else had happened in the Fire Nation after Zuko's banishment. Much to the woman's surprise and slight amusement, when they told her of the banquet and how the two had danced under the moonlight, Ursa saw a faint coloring of Mai's cheeks as well as a slight aversion of eye contact with the woman. She smiled softly at how much Naruto had done for the girl, both as a teacher and as a friend.

"Well Ursa-san, we really should be getting back to the capital. While Ozai has no power over me, he could make things bad for Mai and her family if we don't return."

The woman nodded before she remembered something important and handed the Uzumaki a scroll from her cloak. When he raised an eyebrow at the scroll, she elaborated, "That is what I have been able to find out about the happenings of the Earth Kingdom from other members. I hope it's sufficient enough for you."

He nodded in thanks before he and Mai bid the woman farewell and returned to the ship. During one night on the return trip to the capital, Naruto approached Mai on the ship's deck to ask her something important.

"Mai, I need to know something. Before I ask, I need to tell you that I want your completely honest opinion and answer." At her hesitant nod, he asked, "If I were to leave the Fire Nation and go against Ozai, would you come with me? Would you be able to forsake your home and follow me?"

Mai was shocked at the question and her mind raced with possibilities as to why he would ask such a thing from her. Her mind kept pointing out that Naruto was against Ozai and the war he was making would cause far more harm than any other, except the Shinobi Wars. Her mind also told her that her loyalty should be to her home and her family there; however her heart cried out to her just as loudly as her mind. Her heart told her to follow Naruto and to go against Ozai for the sake of the world; for a better future. And in the very depths of her heart, it also said to her to follow Naruto because she had never connected with anyone so deeply before. He was her teacher, her friend, a person she could turn to, and the only person who truly understood her.

"I… I don't know…" she whispered. "I have no idea if I would follow you or not…"

Naruto sensed her emotions raging within her as she had thought of her answer, and when she had stated that she did not know, he was proud of her. She was fighting an internal battle of the mind and the heart and she was soon approaching a crossroad in life: duty to her nation or following a friend and mentor. If she had rushed into a decision, he had no doubt that she would regret it for the rest of her life.

"I didn't expect an answer from you now, Mai. Whatever you decide, I will respect your decision and support you. However, sooner or later you will come to a point in your life where you will have to choose. I hope you are content with the choice you make in the future."

After he left her to her thoughts, she turned her gaze to the cloudy moonlit sky and wondered, _'What should I do? What would you do in my place, ancestors?'_

One thing Mai knew for sure was that she had two weeks to think about her dilemma before her training resumed.

Three months after return (five months left of the year)

Naruto was currently watching Mai go at it with one of his _Kage Bunshin_ while focusing on using her Nara techniques and her newly learned Raiton technique. They had recently said their farewells to Ty Lee who had chosen to join the Circus in hopes of finally being able to become her own person and not part of a 'matched set' with her five other sisters. Naruto and Mai had wished her all of the best.

During the boat ride back home, Mai had practiced her Raiton manipulation enough to finally complete the step she was on. She was able to successfully create an electrical current from one fingertip to the other one on her other hand. Naruto was pleased with her results and started her off on a jutsu of his own creation; a C-Rank jutsu called _Den'atsu Muchi_ (Voltage Whip).

The jutsu was just as the name implied; a whip made of pure Raiton chakra formed from her pointer and middle fingers. The length of the whip, as well as the level of voltage, depended on the chakra output Mai released. Right now, she was using the whip to try and strike the clone who avoided the strikes with ease.

"Mai, burst your chakra when the whip cracks for a higher release of electricity," Naruto advised. Mai nodded and swung the whip at the clone once more. As soon as the whip hit the ground where the clone dodged, Mai flared her chakra and the whip cracked with a small discharge of electricity. A stray bolt hit the clone on the wrist, resulting in slight numbing of the area before it healed up. The original Naruto nodded and said, "Good work. Now, I want you to show me how far you've gotten with the _Ryūsei Ame_ (Meteor Rain)."

Mai nodded once more and flew through handseals before sending a bolt of lightning to the sky. The lightning stirred up some of the clouds and had them form overhead into storm clouds. Mai then held her hands in the 'dragon' seal and yelled, "_Raiton: Ryūsei Ame no Jutsu_!" The storm clouds began to fire small shots of lightning at the clone. The clone weaved around them easily, much to her annoyance, so she kept up the assault. However, she soon felt her reserves nearly depleted and she released the jutsu to rest.

The original Naruto was proud of his student's progress. Over the months, she had brought her basic skills to an art form, her archery level was incredibly high, her skill with the Nara techniques was around high Chunin in level, and her Raiton skills were about high Genin to low Chunin. Not to mention that her _Kage Bunshin_ limit had increased by one making it a total of three solid clones. The next thing he would have her do would be to sign the Gama Contract and get her to summon at least up to a small battle toad before the end of the year.

"Alright Mai, we'll resume training tomorrow. Go home and rest." Mai nodded and bid Naruto goodbye before she left for home. The blonde then narrowed his visible eye and turned to one of the treetops. "You may as well come on out, Azula. I can sense you after all."

The princess slowly got down from her position and glared at Naruto with her hands on her hips. "I see Mai has learned quite a bit from you. I still don't see why you only focus on her when you can train others to use these gifts as well."

Naruto kept his eye narrowed at her and retorted, "Why would I waste my time on mindless fools who only live to lick the dirt off of your father's boots? At least Mai has the ability to show free will and expression; not mindless and blind loyalty to one's country."

Azula grit her teeth at his words and her hands began to heat up with flames, making Naruto ready his guard slightly. "And just what is so wrong with wanting to fight for one's country?"

"I said blind loyalty, where one obeys and serves even though they _know_ what they're doing is unjust and wrong. Surely you must see that the Fire Nation is destroying the world, Azula! Don't you realize that if your father continues this war of his, then the world will fall?! And it won't be by the Fire Nation's hands, but something _much_ more deadly and evil!"

"What exactly will destroy us then, huh? Your little pet you keep locked up inside of you?" she sneered making Kurama roar within Naruto.

"**How dare that little brat call me a pet! I should take over and kill her now!"** it raged from within the mindscape.

'_Calm down, Kurama! No need to waste your time on a naïve child such as her,'_ he admonished before glaring at Azula with a slitted blue eye. "You should know by now that if I wanted to destroy this world, I would have done it _years_ ago. No, the threat I speak of is one on a spiritual level; one that affects us all and that even I will have trouble with!" he yelled making her take an unconscious step back. "If this war continues, darkness will spread and increase the chances of this threat becoming real. And when that happens, you, me, and this whole damn world will fall into the depths of destruction and despair!"

By this point, chakra and killer intent were slowly leaking off of the blonde making Azula have trouble breathing and standing. She was amazed at the power the blonde had, even though it was nowhere _near_ its peak. But still, his words got her to think about the war itself. She saw the harm it caused for other nations, but she saw it as just in the eyes of the Fire Nation. What did this relic from the past know about _her_ country and the war that _they_ fight in every day?

Naruto sensed her thoughts and stopped the flow of his energy while giving Azula a disappointed look, making her glare at him. "Even though this is not my time, I'm going to prevent this world's destruction, Azula. And if that means going against you, your father, and the entire Fire Nation…" he then stared at her with a Kyuubi-enhanced eye, "so be it."

He then faded into a flock of crows before Azula that flew through the skies and out of her sight. The princess kept glaring at the crows until she lost sight of them before thinking, _'This could be bad for us, and for father. I better warn him about this and about Mai's possible change of loyalty before it's too late.'_

Nearly five months later (three days before the end of the year)

Naruto stood before Ozai with Mai who had greatly exceeded his expectations. Over the time spent training, Mai had signed the Gama Contract and had officially become a summoner of the clan. At first, she was like Naruto had started; tadpoles and baby toads. But after a month of trying, she had accomplished in summoning a man-sized battle toad to fight alongside her. Still, even with low Jonin level reserves, summoning took a lot out of her and she was not ready to try and summon one of the clan that was the size of Shun.

Her Raiton training had also increased with her learning two more jutsu. The first one was called _Jibashi_ (Electromagnetic Murder), a technique that released a wave of lightning to her opponents. The second one Mai had begun to learn, but was not quite there yet due to her hesitation in learning it. How could she not be hesitant seeing as it was a technique that nearly killed her teacher when he was younger than her? After all, the _Chidori_ was not a jutsu to take lightly.

Naruto knew of her hesitation and kept reminding her that Sasuke had misused the jutsu, which was created for the sake of defending comrades; not running them through. However, even with the reassurance, Mai was only able to create a small ball of lightning that would only pierce _into_ a boulder and not _through_ it.

Her Nara techniques had increased in strength to low Jonin status and she had even begun to create her own unique jutsu: _Kage no Kusari_ (Shadow Chains). Like the name implies, Mai uses her shadow to create chains in a similar fashion as the _Kage Nui_ is used. However, unlike the _Kage Nui_, the chains were able to wrap around her targets as well as stab into them.

Lastly, her previous skills had all increased greatly. With her weights on, Mai was as fast as Rock Lee when he wore his own weights. Her speed without them was only slightly slower than his when his weights were off, but she was improving. Naruto had also placed seals on her left arm to hold her bow and quiver for quick access while also placing seals on her wrists that held senbon and shuriken in them. Each seal held 20 shuriken and 45 senbon for her to call upon.

All-in-all, Mai was a high Chunin bordering on low Jonin in Naruto's eyes; a perfect place to be at for what he had planned. The previous night, Naruto had received a vision in his sleep concerning the awakening of the long-lost Avatar. In the vision, he saw two shadowy figures approach a large dome of ice that held two other figures; on the size of a person and the other the size of a large beast. The person-sized figure in the ice opened its glowing white eyes before the vision faded.

Throughout the morning, Naruto had felt a growing source of power from the south that had him slightly distracted since he knew that the Avatar must have been in that direction in their icy prison. When he informed Mai of this, she asked if he was going to leave, which he gave affirmation to as well as telling her that her crossroad was upon her. This made Mai nervous and worried as they stood in front of Ozai in his throne room.

"So, you mean to tell me that you plan to leave in search of the Avatar, Uzumaki?" asked the Fire Lord after hearing of Naruto's plans for departure.

"Yes, that is my plan. The world is in jeopardy and I need to make sure that the Avatar is ready enough for the trials ahead."

Ozai then turned his gaze to Mai and questioned, "And what of your student? Surely you don't plan to just leave her here?" Internally, Ozai was hoping that the blonde would do just that so that he may influence Mai into teaching his soldiers how to use chakra and jutsu.

Naruto narrowed his eye at the man and answered, "That is her choice to make. Whether she stays here or goes with me is her decision."

The two men then turned their gazes to Mai who was desperately trying to come up with an answer. Obey her country, or follow her heart? It was the biggest decision that she had ever come across and it was slowly tearing her up inside. However, as she was thinking through this, she heard a voice say to her, _"If you stay here, then you will never have someone as close to you as Naruto has been. You know this… After all, it is what you are most afraid of; being alone in this world once again… You know what you want, so go for it you troublesome girl."_

Mai looked back to the men in front of her, eyes full of determination, and spoke. "I choose to follow Naruto-sensei on his search for the Avatar."

Naruto smiled at his student while Ozai seethed on his throne, causing the flames in front of him to rage. "I guess I have no choice then… Guards, seize the girl! She is a beneficial and irreplaceable asset to our military!"

Mai tensed as the guards surrounded them while Naruto glared at Ozai in rage. Placing a hand on Mai's shoulder, he whispered, "Do you trust me?"

Immediately, she answered, "With my life."

"Then brace yourself," he ordered before she turned to see his eye change into the Mangekyou. The next thing she saw was a distortion in the space around her before she disappeared before the eyes of everyone in the room. While Ozai and his guards stood in shock, Naruto cracked his neck and pulled out a kunai before his blue eye became slitted. "You won't stop me from leaving with my student, Ozai."

He then flew through handseals before he summoned Gamashun in the throne room, who obliterated the roof due to his enormous stature. Naruto stood atop the toad's head and ordered, "Shun, we're leaving! Make your way towards the South Pole!"

"**Why there, Naruto-sama?" **asked the Gama Chief.

"Because someone of great importance is there and I need to see them."

The toad nodded before he tensed his legs for a large leap. **"Hold on, Naruto-sama!"** he called before he bounded into the sky, avoiding many blasts of fire from Ozai and his guards, and landed near the town. In another leap, he landed in the waters of the ports before he kept moving south as he was ordered.

Along the way, Naruto released Mai from the Mangekyou Realm and helped her steady herself on the toad's head. "Are you alright?"

She slowly regained her bearings before she answered, "Yea, I'll be okay. What did you do to me?"

"I basically removed you from the area and kept you safe in my eye's realm so that Ozai's men wouldn't take you." He then looked back to the city getting smaller and smaller upon the horizon. "We're long-gone from the capital now, Mai."

Mai turned her own gaze to the distancing city before she sighed in slight exhaustion. When Naruto looked to her worriedly, she smiled to him and surprised him by embracing him in a hug. "Thank you for everything, Naruto. For teaching me, befriending me, and taking me with you," she said while embracing him.

Naruto smiled warmly to the young woman and gazed to the southern horizon. "You don't need to thank me, Mai. That's what teachers and friends do. Still though, I am glad that you took me up on my offer to train you."

Mai let go of him before she sat next to him and stared at the horizon as well. "So, what now, Naruto?"

Naruto chuckled and answered, "Now? Now, we begin your first ever S-Rank Mission: finding the Avatar and seeing if they have what it takes to protect the world."

(End)

(End)

1~ Think of Iroh's "lightning channeling" technique, but with Raiton chakra

And that was chapter five! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the future chapters to come! If you have any questions or concerns, PM me!

Now please: Review! Review! Review!

**Current ages:**

**Naruto:** (physical) 26; (actual) 5116

**Ozai:** 45

**Ursa: **42

**Iroh:** 64

**Lo and Li:** 81

**Fire Nation Girls:** 17

**Zuko:** 18

**Aang:** (physical) 12; (actual) 112

**Assessments:**

Naruto Uzumaki: SSS Rank

Taijutsu: ANBU  
Genjutsu: Mid Chunin (only can detect and remove)  
Ninjutsu: Kage  
Fuinjutsu: Master  
Summoning: Sennin of the Gama Clan  
Jinchuriki: Fully Realized  
Sharingan: Mangekyou Level

Mai Nara: B Rank

Taijutsu: Mid Chunin  
Genjutsu: Mid Genin (due to Naruto being unable to teach her anything but basic _Bunshin_)  
Ninjutsu: High Chunin  
Fuinjutsu: Adept  
Summoning: Mid Level Summoner of the Gama Clan

I hope you guys like the rankings for them!

Next Time: Search for the Last AirBender! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	6. Chapter 6: Search for the Avatar

Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the next chapter of "Mai's Teacher"!

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto or Avatar the Last AirBender

"Speech"

_'__Thoughts'_

**"Higher Being Speech"**

**_'__Higher Being Thoughts'_**

"_Jutsu_"

(Technique Translations)

Scene or Time Change/Chapter Name

Chapter 6: Search for the Avatar

The winds howled and stirred up the already raging blizzard as Naruto and Mai made their way towards the Southern Water Tribe. Naruto was able to walk through the frigid air with little difficulty due to his knowledge in Katon manipulation.

Mai on the other hand…

"Ah-choo!" sneezed the Nara descendant for the fifth time making Naruto mentally curse himself once again for not giving Mai the proper time to prepare for the trip. Mai was constantly rubbing her arms in order to keep them warm while Naruto used his chakra to warm up his body. An idea came to him and he took off his Sennin haori and draped it over Mai. She immediately drew it closer to her in order to stave off the cold while Naruto focused chakra into his pointer finger and made a seal on the back of the haori.

As soon as the seal was made and activated, Mai felt warmth flood her body and drive away the coldness surrounding her. She turned to Naruto for an explanation and he elaborated, "I made a temporary seal and placed it on the coat so that you could stay warm. The seal releases a constant emission of Katon chakra to warm up your body, but it will only last about three hours. We better find the Southern Tribe soon."

The duo continued their trek through the raging snowstorm before Naruto spotted a cave for them to take a rest in. Once they made it there, the Uzumaki wasted no time in unsealing a couple of blankets for them and handed them both to his student. She gratefully took them and leaned against the cavern wall while Naruto focused his gaze on the blizzard outside. "Is the Avatar even at the South Pole, sensei?"

"I'm positive that they are… I sensed their power originating from here, but we can't get any closer due to this storm. Not to mention that Shun got a pretty serious skin condition from the salt water of the ocean. I can't believe I forgot that toads hate salt water…"

Mai gave a small smile at Naruto's blunder and slowly felt her eyelids droop before she tried to shake herself awake. Naruto watched his student fight against her need for sleep and saw that sleep ended up being the victor this time. Mai was out like a light, leaving Naruto to his thoughts. He leaned his head back against the cavern wall and closed his eyes in meditation. It wasn't much longer before a strange, yet also comforting, sight entered his mind.

The vision he saw was of two faceless figures; both of them feminine in shape. The first figure was a woman with long black hair and red robes sitting on a small field watching the second figure. The second figure was smaller than the first; almost child sized. The girl had dark red hair that reached her shoulders and black clothes while having an air of innocence and purity. She was seen running around the field in happiness before she turned her faceless gaze to him and waved. Seeing the girl waving made the woman turn her gaze to him as well. She stood up and pulled the girl, who Naruto now assumed was her daughter, close to her before he heard his name whispered through the air.

"Naruto!" called out Mai as she shook Naruto awake. He sat up quickly and looked at their surroundings with a shocked look on his face, concerning Mai. "Are you alright? You were mumbling in your sleep and your face is covered in sweat…"

Naruto took slow breaths to calm himself while the last scene of the vision swam through his mind. _'Who were those two? And why do they seem so familiar to me?'_ He wiped the sweat from his face before he turned to Mai. "Yea, I'll be fine. I just had a…strange dream."

Mai looked to him in concern before she hesitantly relented and packed away the blankets into a storage scroll. "The winds have calmed down slightly… We should be able to move on, sensei," she said to him as she made her way out of the cave.

Naruto sighed before he followed her. Unknown to him, Kurama was reviewing the dream Naruto had and could only sigh at what it meant. _**'If he ever uncovers the truth of this, no doubt he'll forget what he must do for the world… Naruto, I hope that when you eventually come to the realization of who those two were that you'll do what must be done when the time comes.'**_

The two shinobi trekked through the knee-deep snow as they tried to locate the Southern Tribe. They were getting closer since Naruto had sensed a small group of people around ten miles from their location.

Suddenly, Naruto tensed and turned his gaze skyward just in time to see a white-furred creature in the distance followed by a ball of fire. He lifted the hair away from his Sharingan just in time to get a glimpse of a figure in orange and red clothing swing a staff at the flaming sphere and redirect it into the frozen Cliffside. He got a better feel for the figure's energy signature and sighed before turning to Mai. "It looks like we just missed them… The Avatar, along with two others, is riding out of here on a flying white creature."

Mai sighed as well and muttered, "Troublesome…" She then looked to the partly cloudy sky and asked, "So what now? We can't ask Shun to help us since the salt water isn't good for him… What do we do?"

Naruto responded by turning away from her and crouching down with his arms in a position meant for carrying a person. "Get on," he ordered.

"You're gonna carry us across the water after the Avatar?" she deadpanned.

"Not across the water; _over_ it. Get on and I'll show you." He heard her sigh again before she climbed onto his back. He felt her get slightly embarrassed by it, but checked it off as not wanting to be carried by her teacher. Once he had her secured, he pumped chakra into his legs and rocketed into the air resulting in Mai clinging to him out of surprise. Once they began to descend back to the ground, Naruto used Fuuton chakra to create a solid surface of wind underneath his feet before he kicked off of it. This was the peak of Naruto's Fuuton Manipulation; a jutsu he called _Kazepo_ (Wind Step) that allowed him to travel through the air as if he were moving through treetops.

Mai was in awe at the view from the air. She saw clouds pass by as well as small islands far down beneath them. It amazed her that her sensei was able to actually move through the air as if he were standing on solid ground. "This is amazing…"

Naruto chuckled at her comment. "Yea, it took me quite a while to figure out this jutsu. Even with all of the clones I used to help me, it took over five years to complete."

"Why didn't you use this when we left the Fire Nation?"

"Even though this jutsu is complete, it takes a lot of chakra and concentration to use. Using it while under fire wouldn't have been wise, so I had Shun take us instead. Unfortunately, I forgot about the toads' dislike for salt water…" In the distance, Naruto spotted the flying creature carrying the Avatar. "We're catching up to them."

"Are we going to talk to them right away, or are we going to wait and observe them first?"

"It would be best to see what their made of before I tell them of future threats… For now, we'll keep a safe distance before we talk to them."

With Aang

On the head of Appa, his flying bison, sat the last AirBender and the Avatar, Aang. While being actually 112yrs old, the AirBender was still physically 12 and incredibly naïve to the time he was in now compared to 100yrs ago. With him were two members of the Southern Water Tribe; Katara, a novice WaterBender who went with Aang in hopes of mastering WaterBending, and Sokka, Katara's older brother who was a warrior of the tribe. He went with Aang to keep close to his younger sister and protect her; something their father ordered him to do before he left to join the war effort.

The trio was flying towards the Southern Air Temple in hopes of finding any Air Nomads or anything left behind by them. Katara and Sokka were skeptical of any survivors of the AirBender Genocide, but they did not want to shatter the young Avatar's hope.

It was about ten minutes later before they arrived at the temple, only to see it devoid of life and slowly falling apart. Aang, clinging on to that small shred of hope, decided to check the Air Temple Sanctuary where his old teacher Monk Gyatso told him that someone would meet him and teach him how to be a better Avatar. After opening the doors, the trio found the inside to be not what they were expecting.

"Statues; that's it?! Where's the meat?" complained Sokka.

Katara rolled her eyes at her brother's antics before she turned her attention to the statues filling up the room. "These people must have been very important to have statues made after them."

"Yea… Hey, that one's a WaterBender!" pointed out Aang.

"And that one's an AirBender…" Katara then looked closer at the statues before stating, "They're put into a cycle. Look; Air, Water, Earth, and Fire."

"That's the Avatar Cycle."

"Of course… These are all Avatars. All of these people are your past lives, Aang."

"Wow… There's so many…" he commented in awe of it all.

"Katara, you don't really believe in that 'past lives' fable, do you?" asked Sokka.

"It's true. When the Avatar dies, they're reincarnated into the next Nation in the Cycle." She then turned her attention back to Aang, only to see him in a trance in front of a Fire Nation Avatar. "Who is that?"

Broken from the trance, Aang answered, "That's Avatar Roku, the Avatar before me."

"You were a FireBender? No wonder I didn't trust you before," commented Sokka.

"There's no nameplate on the statue… How do you know his name?" asked Katara.

"I'm not sure; it just feels like I know him somehow."

Sokka groaned at the AirBender's answer. "You know, you just couldn't get _any_ weirder…"

Suddenly, they heard some footsteps and turned to see a small lemur in the doorway. Aang was excited to see another remnant of his people while Sokka was happy to find food. This initiated a race between the two of them to get to the lemur first.

Fire Nation Controlled Port

Prince Zuko and his uncle Iroh were making their way to an arena where Zuko was to have an Agni Kai with Commander Zhao, a high ranking FireBender who had riled up the prince. Once they reached the arena, Zuko and Zhao had their backs to one another in kneeled positions.

"Remember your FireBending basics, Prince Zuko. They are your greatest weapons," advised Iroh.

"I refuse to let him win…" Zuko stated as he turned to face Zhao.

Zhao rose as well and turned to Zuko. "This will be over quickly…"

Immediately after the gong initiating the match rang, Zhao proved to be more than a match for Zuko, effortlessly avoiding and nullifying all of the Prince's fire blasts. As Zuko caught his breath, Iroh continued to advise Zuko to remember his basics while Zhao proceeded to throw his own volley of fire blasts. Zuko was able to block each, but was slowly forced back with every parry. For the final blast, Zhao used both fists, forming a blast that connected and knocked Zuko to the ground. Pressing the attack, Zhao leapt into the air, covered the distance between him and Zuko, and prepared a finishing fire blast aimed directly for the Prince's face. An instant before contact, Zuko rolled out of the way, rose with a kicking flourish, and knocked Zhao out of his stance.

With new-found vigor, Zuko released a series of low attacks that caused Zhao to retreat, and finished him with a jet of fire from a full body kick. As the Prince stood ready to strike Zhao a final time, Zhao yelled out, "Do it!" To Zhao's surprise, the strike meant to mark Zuko's victory was aimed past his face instead. Looking to the scorched ground, Zhao questioned, "That's it? Your father raised a coward."

"Next time you get in my way, I promise…I won't hold back," Zuko declared as he walked away from his defeated opponent.

Zhao, full of anger and embarrassment, made to strike Zuko's unguarded back, but was stopped by Iroh. As Zuko made to engage Zhao again, Iroh held him back and stated, "No Prince Zuko… Do not taint your victory." He then turned back to Zhao while commenting, "So this is how the 'great' Commander Zhao acts in defeat? Disgraceful… Even in exile, my nephew is far more 'honorable' than you are." The duo then made their way back to their ship with Zuko feeling grateful to his uncle for his words.

Air Temple

After chasing the lemur for a while, Aang came across the skeletal remains of Gyatso. Seeing his teacher and father figure's remains caused him to weep before rage took over at the sight of aged Fire Nation uniforms.

In his rage, Aang called upon the power of his past lives, making his AirBender tattoos glow along with his eyes. A dome of wind surrounded him, pushing back everything and whipping up the air into a hurricane.

Naruto, who was hidden out of sight with Mai, felt the power Aang was calling upon reach near Kage level in strength. _'Damn it. At this rate, the kid will destroy the mountain in his rage. I have to do something.'_

The last Uzumaki was about to step in before he heard Katara say to Aang, "I know you're upset, and I know what it's like to lose the people you love. I went through the same thing when I lost my mom… Monk Gyatso and the other Air Nomads may be gone, but you still have a family. Sokka and I; we're you're family now."

Her words reached Aang as the winds slowly died down, but his features will still glowing. The Water Tribe siblings walked up to him and placed reassuring hands on the boy's shoulders. "Katara and I aren't going to let anything happen to you, we promise," declared Sokka as Aang finally released the energy and collapsed into Katara's arms.

"I'm sorry…"

"It's okay… You weren't yourself," reassured the WaterBender.

"But you were right… And if the Fire Nation found this temple, they must have found the other ones too… I really _am_ the last AirBender…" he said sadly as Katara comforted him.

Naruto sighed at how Aang was dealing with the loss of his people before he turned to leave with Mai in tow. "Do you think he's ready, sensei?"

"No, he isn't… He lets his emotions take control of him so easily, making him lose focus and have to rely on the power of his past lives… He needs to be able to call upon and use his _own_ power or else he will never be ready."

After reuniting with the lemur, who Aang had decided to name Momo, the Gaang left the Air Temple and began making their way north once again while Naruto and Mai followed close behind.

Three Days Later (Kyoshi Island)

Naruto had to resist the urge to go and rip Aang a new one at the sight of the boy wasting his time riding giant koi fish. The boy had no sense of urgency or a real want to fulfill his duty to the world. Instead, he was only interested in showing off for his friends and behaving like a child. The Uzumaki had to constantly remind himself that Aang technically was still a child, but even he knew when the time was right to have fun and perform your duties.

Mai merely laid down against the tree her sensei was residing in and gazed at the clouds. It was a beautiful day and the masses of air and water were lazily drifting through the sky above them.

The two perked up when a giant eel rose up from the water and tried to devour Aang. The boy would have been fish food, but he was able to get out of danger by using AirBending to run across the water and back to shore.

From his position in the tree, Naruto saw a group of around eight women dressed in armored robes waiting in the trees while watching the Avatar. The Gaang was blissfully unaware of their observers until the women dropped down from the trees and swiftly bound and blindfolded them. After taking them to the entrance of their village and tying them to the post of a statue of Avatar Kyoshi, they removed the blindfolds.

"Who are you and where are the men who ambushed us?" asked Sokka.

"There were no men; _we_ ambushed you," answered the lead member of the women.

"Yea right… Seriously, there's no way a bunch of girls took us down."

"'A bunch of girls', huh? The unagi is going to eat well tonight," she retorted while grasping the collar of his shirt.

"Wait! Please, he didn't mean it! My brother is just an idiot sometimes," pleaded Katara.

The leader of the village stepped forward and questioned, "Why are you here? If I didn't know any better, I'd say that you three were Fire Nation spies."

"We're not spies! We were just making a stop while on our way to the North Pole," answered Aang.

"A likely story… Know this: Kyoshi Island has peacefully stayed out of this war, and we intend to keep it that way!"

"This island was named after Avatar Kyoshi? I know her!"

"Ha! How could you know her when she's been dead for centuries?"

"I know her because I'm the Avatar."

"That's impossible," stated the head warrior, "The last Avatar was an AirBender who disappeared from the world 100yrs ago."

"That's me!" Aang said with a small smile.

The village leader had heard enough and ordered the trio to be sent to the unagi. However, Aang proved his claim as the Avatar by AirBending out of his bindings and floating to the ground. Left in awe at the sight of the Avatar, the villagers graciously welcomed Aang and his friends into their village and began to provide him with a charitable feast.

With Zuko

As the news of the Avatar's arrival to Kyoshi Island spread throughout the island, it was passed on to local fishermen who passed it on to a customer who passed it on to Prince Zuko as they served him a fried fish. "The Avatar's on Kyoshi Island?! Uncle, ready the rhinos! He's not getting away from me this time…"

"Are you going to finish that?" asked the retired general while pointing to the fish.

Zuko took the plate away and yelled, "I was saving it for later!"

Kyoshi Village

As Aang showed off for the villagers and basked in the limelight, Sokka swallowed his pride and asked to be taught by the Kyoshi Warriors led by Suki. Katara on the other hand was packing supplies for the trip.

Next to her, as she bought vegetables and meats, was Naruto who was also purchasing some food for his journey with Mai. He and Mai had entered the village easily and Mai was in another part of the village while he decided to get some supplies and observe the Avatar's friends.

Katara was about to reach for a zucchini but was stopped by Naruto who advised, "You don't want that one; it isn't ripe yet."

The WaterBender got a better look at the Uzumaki and was confused at the style of clothing, the hair color, and why he was helping out a total stranger like her. "Thanks," she said hesitantly as she reached for a different one.

"It amazes me that the so-called 'Master of All Elements' is nothing more than a child who prefers to show off instead of fulfilling his duty."

Katara sighed in disappointment at the truth of his words. "Yea, I would have thought he would be more focused on getting ready to move on…"

"He _is_ a child," Naruto reminded her. "But still, he should be putting his duty to the world before anything else…"

Katara turned to him with a raised brow. "Why are you so concerned about what Aang should be doing? The rest of the village seems fine just meeting him…"

"True… However, I do not live here. I'm merely passing through with my student as we travel north. I heard the rumors of the Avatar's return and began wondering why we have just found out about it now. Why hasn't he performed the duties he is responsible for instead of parading around this village with young women chasing him out of adoration?"

"I wish I knew…" Katara sadly agreed. "I mean, I know he doesn't know any other element but air, but he really should be more focused on learning the other elements and helping the world."

'_The kid doesn't even know the other elements?!'_ Naruto thought in shock. "That's…unsettling," he commented. "An Avatar who only knows one element in a time where the world needs them most…" He shook his head in disappointment before he paid for his supplies and walked away. "This world is doomed," Katara heard him say.

Katara sighed sadly before she paid for her own supplies and put them in the Gaang's apartment room. After that, she made her way to where Aang said he was going to ride the unagi for the girls' entertainment. She walked past many of them before she spotted him out alone in the water.

"Katara, you showed up!" he exclaimed happily.

"I wanted to make sure you were alright! You had me worried!" she called out to him.

"Yea… I'm sorry. I was acting like a spoiled jerk."

"Well get out of the water before you catch a cold, you big jerk!" she ordered playfully making him smile.

As he made his way to the shore, he was once again caught by surprise when the unagi appeared and tried to eat him. He was able to grab a hold of one of its whiskers before it tossed him into the air. He landed painfully in the water and was rendered unconscious and floating out at sea. Katara quickly made her way to him and bent the water around them to quickly reach the shore once again.

Once she made sure Aang was alright, she looked up from her position behind some rocks on the shore and saw Zuko and his men heading for the island village. It wasn't long before they began to set fire to it in hopes of Aang coming out to face him. As the rooftops burned, the Kyoshi Warriors and Sokka, who was dressed in a Kyoshi Warrior uniform, began to engage them in hope of driving them back. However, Zuko and his men proved to be too much for them and they were easily knocked aside.

Suddenly, the wind picked up around the village and a cry of "_Fuuton: Kaze no Hassan_ (Wind's Divergence)" was heard. The wind began to extinguish the flames and Zuko gaped in surprise at the sight of Naruto and Mai walking out from one of the buildings.

"Zuko… Good to see you again after over two years," Naruto greeted.

"What are you two doing here?" asked the prince.

"We are searching for the Avatar, just like you are. Only, we are not searching to capture him."

"What do you mean? I need to capture him and take him back to my father!"

Naruto sighed in disappointment at Zuko's objective. "Your father isn't interested in restoring your honor, Zuko… How can a man restore another man's honor? It isn't possible!"

Zuko glared at the Uzumaki and got in a ready stance while Mai reluctantly got in one in front of her teacher. "If you won't let me get the Avatar, then you are a traitor to the Fire Nation!"

"How could I betray a nation I was not a part of? Besides, do you really think that burning a village just to find the Avatar is the right thing to do, Zuko?"

"Hey, over here!" called out Aang as he stood a fair distance away from them in determination.

Zuko gave a small smirk and answered, "Does that answer your question?"

"No, it doesn't. You never told me if you believed that it was right and I wasn't asking if it was convenient or a decent tactic."

Zuko chose to ignore him and fired a volley of fire at the AirBender who batted them aside with his staff. Aang then spun his staff in a helicopter fashion, allowing him to glide over to his opponent. Zuko batted away Aang's staff and pushed him back before the AirBender picked up two dropped battle fans and used them to blast a great amount of air pressure at Zuko. The strike landed and knocked the prince through a wall and into a building.

The Avatar turned to where he saw Naruto and Mai and was surprised to see that they had disappeared. Shaking it off, he retrieved his staff and met up with his friends on Appa to leave the village, hoping Zuko would follow and spare it from any further damage. As they were flying away from it, Aang saw that the buildings had caught fire again as the FireBenders made their way back to the ship. He shocked his friends by jumping off of Appa and into the water below before he resurfaced on top of the unagi and manipulated it into spitting water onto the flames. Once he saw that the village was no longer aflame, he allowed the giant eel to fling him into the air where he was caught by Appa and put back onto the passenger saddle.

"I know, I know that was stupid and dangerous," Aang stated before Katara could scold him.

"Yes, it was…" she agreed.

"Incredibly so…" came Naruto's voice, making the Gaang turn to see him laying down on one of Appa's horns while Mai sat on the bison's head.

"Who are you?" asked Aang. "You helped put out the flames before my fight with Zuko…"

"And I talked to you in the marketplace," Katara added.

Naruto turned his gaze to Aang and answered, "I am the predecessor of you and all of the Avatars before you."

Aang looked surprised at that while Katara asked, "What do you mean?"

"Before the time of Bending and the Avatar, I was known as the world's peacekeeper before I felt as if the duty and responsibility was too much and that someone like me was not needed in my time. I was known as the 'Child of Prophecy' during my time and after I sealed myself away, I was known as the 'Hero of the Flame'. The Avatar was made by the Spirits to act as my 'replacement' in maintaining peace in the world."

"How do we know that you aren't lying? For all we know, you could just be another person after Aang," stated Sokka.

Naruto turned his gaze to Aang again and ordered, "Look me in the eye, Avatar. The truth will reveal itself to you…"

Aang was unsure at the order and kept his gaze averted before he unconsciously entered the Avatar State and met Naruto's blue eyes with his glowing ones. Visions filled the AirBender's mind of a golden-haired man fighting against many opponents, beasts of incredible size and power, and speaking to a giant canine-like creature that was resting within a cage. The voices of his past lives rang in his mind, stating that the man before him was as ancient as Bending itself before he released the power and left his Avatar State.

"You really are my predecessor…"

"Of course I am, and I have something very important to tell you concerning the world."

"Why? What's going on?"

Naruto closed his eyes and slowly stated, "The world will be destroyed soon by something on a spiritual level. You need to prepare, Avatar, or else the world will fall into darkness and chaos."

"Why? What is the threat?" asked Katara while Aang was digesting the info and Sokka was surprisingly quiet through it all. Mai was also paying attention since Naruto had not told her of this oncoming threat to the world.

Naruto sighed before he moved to sit next to his student and gazed at the trio before him. "Let me tell you about the great beast known as the Juubi…"

(End)

And that was chapter six! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the future chapters to come! If you have any questions or concerns, PM me!

Now please: Review! Review! Review!

**Current ages:**

**Naruto:** (physical) 26; (actual) 5116

**Mai:** 17

**Aang:** (physical) 12; (actual) 112

**Ozai:** 45

**Ursa: **42

**Iroh:** 64

**Zuko:** 18

**Azula:** 17

**Ty Lee:** 17

**Lo and Li:** 81

**Katara: **16

**Sokka:** 17

**Suki:** 17

Next Time: Naruto tells the Gaang of the Juubi and urges Aang to prepare! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	7. Chapter 7: Threats and Omashu

Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the next chapter of "Mai's Teacher"!

AN1: I have a poll concerning Zhao's demise up on my profile! Please vote!

AN2: A few people reminded me that the Sharingan can cast simple genjutsu on its own. Honestly, I forgot all about that and will rectify it!

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto or Avatar the Last AirBender

"Speech"

_'__Thoughts'_

**"Higher Being Speech"**

**_'__Higher Being Thoughts'_**

"_Jutsu_"

(Technique Translations)

Scene or Time Change/Chapter Name

Chapter 7: Threats and Omashu

"Long ago," Naruto began, "centuries before the founding of the Hidden Shinobi Villages, the Rikudo Sennin saved the world from the Juubi. He managed to subdue the beast and seal it within his own body, becoming the first Jinchuriki, or Human Sacrifice. However, this offered merely a temporary solution to the great beast. In the event of his death, the seal would dissolve and the Juubi would once again be unleashed upon the world."

"So, what did he do?" asked Aang while the others listened quietly.

"The Sage searched for a more permanent solution to seal it away. Ultimately, he succeeded by using his 'Creation of All Things' ability to separate the Juubi's energy from its body and divide it into nine separate constructs that would later become known as the Bijuu, or tailed beasts. The Kyuubi is one of those constructs that is sealed away within me."

"But sensei, if only the energy was removed, then what happened to the body of the Juubi?" asked the Nara descendant.

"Patience Mai; I was getting to that. As a final precaution, using Chibaku Tensei, or 'Heavenly Body Bursting from the Earth', the Sage entombed the physical remains of the Juubi within a colossal stone prison and hurled it into the heavens," Naruto waved his hand to the sky, "creating the moon. The astonishing feat of not only successfully sealing the great beast, but also suppressing it, made the Sage a deified hero throughout the shinobi world."

Katara looked to him in complete shock. "So, the power we WaterBenders draw upon wasn't the moon, but the Juubi?"

"No, the power you draw upon is still the moon; or rather its spirit. The Rikudo Sennin unknowingly assisted in the creation of the many Spirits that watch over our world today. The Moon Spirit is perhaps the most vital and important one of them all now. If anything happens to it, or the moon itself, the Juubi's power will begin to leak out and spread across the world."

"Then that means that it's even more important that we get to the North Pole as fast as we can," Sokka commented. "Gran-Gran told us stories of how the Northern Water Tribe was closest to the Moon and Ocean Spirits. It'd probably be easier for us to protect the Moon Spirit there."

"Exactly… Avatar-"

"My name is Aang."

"Fine then… Aang, it's plain to see that you are far from being a fully realized Avatar, like Roku was when he was the Avatar. However, that doesn't mean that there isn't time to fix that. You have a duty to the world now and you can't waste your time messing around. I realize you are still young, but I started out that way as well."

"How old were you when you became a shinobi?" Aang asked.

"What _is_ a shinobi anyway? And what is chakra and jutsu and all the other things you mentioned?" questioned Sokka.

"In that order: I started out at 14, shinobi, also known as ninja, are people who can utilize the inner energy known as chakra. Chakra is the balance of chi (physical energy) and reiryoku (spiritual energy), and jutsu are the abilities that shinobi are capable with chakra. Any more questions or can I continue?"

Katara gave her brother a stern look before Sokka could open his mouth. "I think we're good. Please continue."

Naruto and Mai gave small smirks at how the WaterBender easily controlled her brother. "As I was saying, you may be young, but the world is need of you now more than ever."

"What about you though? I mean, you said you were the peacekeeper of your time… Why can't you help the world now?" asked the AirBender.

"Who said I wouldn't? All I am saying is that the greatest threat is in the Spirit World; a place only the Avatar can go to."

Aang nodded before he moved to Appa's head and grabbed the reins. As he steered the bison through the air, he asked, "So, how am I supposed to prepare for the Juubi? I mean, you said the Sage sealed into the moon, but nothing about defeating it."

"That's because he _physically_ battled it. You need to _spiritually_ do so. The only way I truly think you can stand a chance is if you master your Avatar abilities; like the power you used back at the Air temple."

"You saw that?"

"Yes and I know that you were not using your own strength then. Your past lives were offering their strength to you back then. When you master your own Avatar power, it will no doubt be much more powerful."

"So, how do I do that? How do I master my Avatar State?" Aang asked him and the others.

Naruto and Mai closed their eyes in thought while Katara and Sokka looked lost on any type of answer. "Sensei?"

"Yes, Mai?"

"What if we talked to someone who was knowledgeable on things spiritually related; someone who was old enough to know?"

"It wouldn't be a bad idea; however I doubt anyone like that would be easy to find. Maybe if we had a place that stored information of past events and people…"

"Like a library?" asked Katara.

"Yes, or something like that…"

"There's a pretty big library in the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu," Aang offered. "There are all kinds of information there; or at least there should be. I used to hang out there with my friend Bumi a hundred years ago."

Naruto nodded. "Then to Omashu we go."

It took a few days to arrive to the outskirts of the city of Omashu, and during the times of day when the group allowed Appa to rest, Naruto continued Mai's training in Raiton techniques and she was getting the hang of using the _Chidori_. It wouldn't be long before Naruto felt her ready for the variants of the jutsu that Sasuke had ingeniously come up with. Naruto may dislike the Uchiha, but he couldn't deny that Sasuke had a talent for jutsu creation.

Aang spent the times between flying in thought over all of what Naruto had told him. It was nerve wracking hearing of the Juubi and its high chance of returning. Not to mention that he'd have to learn how to access the Spirit World in order to confront it.

Katara was worried for Aang, but she knew that he needed time to think things through. She couldn't blame him in the slightest for being afraid or worried seeing as he already had quite a lot on his plate. She spent the breaks practicing her Bending and making sure there was food for everyone. She was the second best cook they had; Naruto being the first, but he had a clone teaching her some cooking techniques.

Sokka decided to let Aang try and deal with his problems on his own. It was too much for the Water Tribe Warrior to fully comprehend anyway. Granted, he was worried about Aang slightly, but he had faith that the AirBender would pull through. He spent the breaks looking over the map Aang had and thinking of quicker routes to the North Pole. He also practiced with his machete and boomerang as well as other physical exercises.

Another thing Naruto did was reflect on his actions during the past years. He realized that he was dwelling on his past still and had a good, long look at his reflection in the water one day. _'Kami-sama, look at me… I look like an Avatar of Death, not a shinobi of Konoha… Kurama, I think it's time for one last change...'_

'_**Well it's about time. I was wondering when you'd finally lose the Madara look…'**_

'_Yea… His image is definitely not something I want to pass down to the world…'_ He then pulled out a kunai and a worn out sealing scroll before a small smile came to his face. _'Time for the _real_ Naruto Uzumaki to make his grand reappearance...'_

When he returned to the group, they were surprised to see his new appearance; especially Mai since she was so used to his Madara-like look. Naruto stood before them with his hair cut down to the length he had it during the 4th Great War, and he wore black sandals, orange pants, an orange jacket with black coloring on the upper torso and arms, his Sennin Cloak over his jacket, and his Uzu hiate on his forehead. The group saw his whiskered, slightly scarred face and dual colored eyes completely and it amazed Mai that her teacher could look so attractive, yet also have an air of power and authority. (1)

The view of Omashu was incredible to the Gaang. The tall mountain peak on which Omashu was founded was located in the Kolau Mountains in the southwestern Earth Kingdom. The city was built high out of a deep chasm and was created in the shape of mountain peaks. Naruto saw this as a clever form of camouflage and noticed that being built on the mountain provided the city with one of its best defenses; the only way to reach the gates of Omashu was across a long narrow bridge of stone that spanned the sheer gorge.

"Welcome to the Earth Kingdom city of Omashu!" Aang exclaimed with a smile.

"It's amazing!" Katara commented.

"Definitely the biggest city I've ever seen," Sokka added.

"It certainly is interesting seeing a mountain peak styled city. It reminds me of Kumogakure somewhat," Naruto stated while Mai simply stayed quiet.

"Well, c'mon let's go in already!" Aang said as he made his way to the gates.

"Hold on, Aang. I think you should wear a disguise while we're in the city. There might be some people who dislike the Avatar since you were frozen during the war," Katara advised.

"That's a good idea, but he won't need a disguise," Naruto said with a small smirk. At their confused stares, he elaborated by flowing chakra into his implanted eye and focusing it on Aang. Before everyone's eyes, the AirBender faded away into nothingness.

"Aang, where are you?" Katara asked worriedly.

"I didn't move," his voice replied.

"You won't be able to see him since I've placed a simple illusion over his form. To those who are not experienced with chakra, they can hear him and feel him; however, they will not be able to see him."

Sokka poked at the 'empty' space where Aang was and felt his finger hit clothed flesh. He kept poking before Aang had enough and sidestepped, making Sokka's hand stretch out with no resistance.

"Now that he is unseen to the normal eye, we can easily enter the city," Naruto said while gently pushing Aang forward. He needed his Sharingan to stay focused on the boy or else the illusion would drop.

The guards at the gates gave them a little trouble since Naruto and Mai wore colors of the Fire Nation, but Katara assured them that they meant no harm, making the two shinobi and sealed Bijuu mentally scoff. Once they made it into the city, Naruto tweaked his genjutsu so that Aang could be visible, but be seen as an average brunette with brown eyes.

As they traversed the city, Aang was able to lead the group to the library by his old memories of the city. They had to 'persuade' the guards into letting them in, but it was nothing a little 'suggestive' illusion couldn't handle. Once inside, they saw it was divided into an Eastern and Western wing.

"We should split up," Naruto commented. "You three go down the East Wing while Mai and I go down the West Wing. We'll meet back here in one hour."

The others nodded before they separated. Naruto and Mai went west and perused through the many shelves of books. Their use of _Kage__Bunshin_ was extremely efficient in cutting down the time needed.

Mai was lucky enough to come across a book that held documentation of Avatar Kyoshi's exploits during her time as peacekeeper. One of the documents told of her path to self-enlightenment which resulted in her control of her Avatar State. She pulled out a scroll and had a clone seal the documents before she continued her search.

Naruto and his many clones were not only looking for references for Aang to use, but were also studying the history of the world in general. It amazed him that the world practically started over after he sealed himself away. He also believed that the people going this far already without the use of chakra or jutsu was nothing short of impressive. Naruto continued skimming through books before his fingers traced an extremely worn out book and he pulled it out. It was dusty, the spine was missing, and the pages were barely kept together, but he still found it legible. Blowing off the dust, he read the title.

"_The Sacrificed Hero_… Interesting name for this…" He flipped through a few pages before a familiar name was seen on the pages. "Jiraiya… Hehe… Sensei, what would you think of my actions if you were alive? Would you have been accepting of my choices, or disappointed?"

He shook his head out of those thoughts before he sealed away the book into a scroll and continued his perusing. The two shinobi were interrupted by the sound of crashing and a faint cry of, "My cabbages!"

Naruto sighed in annoyance while Mai muttered her clan's famous catchphrase. "We better go make sure they haven't caused too much of a ruckus," Naruto said before he and Mai made their way out of the library just in time to see some EarthBender guards leading the bound Gaang towards the Palace. "Excuse me, sir," Naruto called out to them, making them stop and look at him. "Those three are with me. Did they do something wrong?" He mentally thought of how ridiculous he sounded since he knew they _did_ do something wrong.

"Yes, they took a joyride on one of the carts of our mailing system and caused multiple amounts of property damage to the city."

Naruto gave the bald monk a pointed look while Aang merely looked sheepish. "I see… If you don't mind, I'd like to come with you so that I may assess the consequences and see if I may do something about them."

The guard was silent in thought before he slowly nodded. "Very well… However, you are to be silent unless spoken to. Is that clear?"

"Crystal…"

Throne Room

Then sight of the King of Omashu was quite surprising to the Gaang and shinobi. He looked like a frail and extremely elderly man, but Naruto sensed his power and felt it was easily near Kage level. _'Not bad for an old man… He looks older than Ōnoki…'_

"Your highness, these three are charged with vandalism, destruction of property, and…malicious destruction of cabbages. What do you want us to do sir?"

The King took a good long look at Aang, making him fidget slightly, and Naruto was surprised to find that he couldn't get a good empathic reading on the man. "Throw them," he began, making the trio look worried, "…a feast!"

Naruto and Mai sweat-dropped while everyone else looked incredibly confused. The guards hesitantly nodded before a feast was prepared for the group of three while Naruto and Mai were graciously invited to sit and eat as well, much to their suspicion.

"So young man, where do you come from?" asked the King to Aang.

"I uh… I come from Kangaroo Island!"

"Oh, Kangaroo Island huh? I hear that place is really hopping."

The room was silent except for Sokka who laughed at the joke. When the others turned to him, he grew embarrassed. "What? It was funny…"

The King then made a slightly exaggerated yawn as he stood from the table. "Well, these old bones of mine are quite tired… I guess it's time to…hit the hay!" he cried while hurling a drumstick of chicken at Aang who caught it instinctively with the use of AirBending. The guards looked on in surprise while the King continued, "There's an AirBender in our presence, and not just _any_ AirBender; the Avatar."

After the revelation of Aang's true identity, the Gaang tried to leave but were halted by the guards. Naruto contemplated stepping in, but he decided against it since he was curious as to where the King was going with his actions. The King had Katara and Sokka wear rings made of gemanite, which was also known as the 'creeping crystal'. He then told Aang that he'd free them after the AirBender performed three 'tests' for him before the dawn of the following morning.

Aang readily agreed to them and was led to an underground cavern for his first test. The cavern was filled with stalagmites and stalactites while a waterfall raged down on a ladder and a key hanging on a chain. "Your first test is to get that key. It belongs to by lunchbox and I'm quite famished," said the King with a slightly crazed grin.

Aang narrowed his eyes in determination before he rushed toward the waterfall and attempted to climb it by using AirBending. Naruto shook his head and commented next to Mai, "That won't work. No matter how much air he uses, the waterfall's power is too great."

Naruto was proven correct when Aang was blasted out of the rushing water. Not willing to give up, he jumped up the ceiling of the cavern before he dove at the waterfall in an AirBending drill-like spin. He was once again unsuccessful and thrown away from the water, much to the King's amusement and the Water Tribe members' worry.

As Aang hung on to a stalactite, an idea came to him. He sliced off the top half of it and threw it at the chain before he shot a wave of air to increase its speed. Naruto smirked at the kid's plan and was pleased to see that the earthen projectile cut through the chain and stabbed it into the wall with the key dangling in front of the King's face.

"There, you can have your lunch!" Aang yelled. "I want my friends back now!"

"Not yet, Avatar. I need another favor. It seems that I've lost my dear pet, Flopsy."

Aang groaned before he ran through the palace in search of the pet, though he had no idea what it was. He then spotted a rabbit with incredibly long ears sniffing around in an arena-like area. "Okay, I found him!"

"Bring him to me!" ordered the King. "Daddy wants a kiss from Flopsy!"

Aang was about to grab the rabbit before a large goat-gorilla landed behind him and initiated a chase. The gorilla chased Aang, who chased the rabbit, who ran like hell. The rabbit soon dove into a hole, making Aang grow worried before a thought came to him.

"Wait a minute…" he said as he turned to the goat-gorilla. "Flopsy?" he asked, making the beast stop and turn incredibly docile.

The King whistled for his 'found' pet and began to affectionately rub its belly while gushing over it. He was interrupted by Aang approaching him.

"C'mon, I'm ready for the last challenge," he said, making the King smirk.

The group was led to a large arena where Aang was to battle an opponent. He was allowed to choose which opponent to fight, with the King warning him to choose carefully. He was able pick one of two nasty-looking gladiator-like warriors who entered the arena, but he realized that he could choose to fight the king.

"I choose you," Aang stated, pointing to him.

The King smiled and chuckled at the AirBender's decision. "Wrong choice," he commented while removing his robes to reveal a surprisingly muscular physique in stark contrast to his incredible age.

The king immediately began the duel by launching several boulders at Aang. The Avatar dodged, but the king taunts him for such a predictable AirBender tactic. He continued launching multiple pieces of earth, forcing Aang to dodge, as he continued to taunt Aang for his unwillingness to fight back.

Aang grew irritated and began to counter the King with AirBending strikes, but the EarthBender easily blocked them with raised walls of earth and even joked about a draft in the room.

He then decided to end it and, with tremendous effort, the king tore a massive chunk of earth out of the ground and held it over his head. Aang gaped in terror and began to run in circles, AirBending a tornado within the arena. The king threw the massive mound, but the tornado stopped it, spun it around, and redirected it back at him. Shocked at the reversal of his technique, the King bisected it neatly in two, but Aang appeared out of the dust and pinned the king with his staff.

The King smiled and gave a small laugh at his loss. "Well done, Avatar. You fight with much fire in your heart." He then used EarthBending to move himself underground and appear next to the Water Tribe members. "You've completed my tasks, but now you must answer one question."

"That's no fair! You said you'd let my friends go after I completed your tests!"

"Oh, but what's the point of tests if you don't learn anything?"

"Oh come on!" Sokka complained.

"Answer this one question correctly, and I'll let your friends go. What…is my name?" Aang gaped in surprise at the question, making the King chuckle. "By the looks of your friends, I'd say that you only have about an hour or so before they're completely crystallized. Better get a move on."

"Oh man… What could his name be?" asked Aang worriedly.

"Think about the tests!" Katara offered. "Maybe they have clues as to what his name is."

"I got it!" Sokka exclaimed. "He's an EarthBender, right? Rocky!" He was met with silence. "Y'know, because of all the rocks…"

'We're gonna keep trying but that is a good fallback," Katara said.

"Okay, back to the tests. I got a key from a waterfall, found his pet, and I had a duel…"

"And what did you figure out from them?"

"Well, none of them were straightforward and made me think differently…"

"And?" Katara urged as the gemanite grew slowly.

"Well, I had to come at them much more differently than when I was used to; which required me to think outside of the box…" He then had a look of realization before he smiled. "I know his name!"

"Good," Naruto commented. "Now you can find him, tell him his name, and we can get out of here. I mean, you still have to go to the North Pole, remember?"

"Right, I'll go find him now!"

Throne Room

"Bumi," Aang said as he walked up to the King, "you're a mad genius!"

The newly named King laughed heartily before he was embrace by his old friend. "Oh Aang, it's good to see you! You haven't changed a bit; literally!"

After releasing his friends, Bumi told Aang that the world has changed since he was gone. He urged him to master the other elements and that he hoped that Aang would fight like a 'mad genius' when he confronted Ozai.

Naruto smirked at the reunion before his face turned serious and he stepped up to Bumi. "Your highness, we have a couple of questions to ask of you."

Bumi gave a small smile and replied, "Ask away, my ancient friend."

Naruto's eye twitched slightly before he asked, "We were wondering if you knew of a way for Aang to get a better understanding of the spiritual aspect of his role in the world?"

"Hmm… It may not be what you were hoping for, but if you go to Jade Peak Island, you may find something in the temples there. Many of our EarthBending Avatars were able to draw wisdom from that place. I don't know if it will work for Aang, but it could be worth a shot."

Naruto turned to Aang, who nodded in acceptance, before he said, "We appreciate the help. One last thing…" He then pulled out the worn out book and presented it to Bumi. "Who wrote this?"

Bumi gently took the book and skimmed through the pages before a look of realization made its way to his face. "Ah yes, I recognize this writing style… You're looking for a man who goes by the name 'Rooted Tree'. He stayed here ages ago and gave it to the library while saying that it was an heirloom from his family. He should know who wrote it."

Naruto took the book back and stored it away before he thanked Bumi. Before the Gaang left the city, Aang and Bumi took one last ride on the mailing system, much to the horror of the Cabbage Merchant who had his cart destroyed once again.

That Night

As Appa flew through the evening skies, everyone but Naruto and Aang slept; Aang due to steering his friend, and Naruto because he couldn't sleep.

Just earlier, he tried to get some rest, but had the same vision as the one he had at the South Pole. It was clearer this time though since he was able to see the color of the figures' eyes. The older woman had amber eyes while the young girl had eyes of different colors. Her left eye was amber, but her right was a bright blue. By looking into their eyes, he was able to see love and joy as they waved to him. The surprise of it all caused him to wake up in a cold sweat once again before he took calming breaths.

'_That dream again… What could it mean? Why do those two make me feel such joy, yet also such sadness?'_ he thought to himself.

So lost in his thoughts, he was not able to sense Mai wake up and look to him in worry. She didn't like seeing her teacher and friend look so confused and knew that he was slightly worried about the dreams he was having. She slowly stood up and made her way to him before he was hugged from behind by her. It surprised him that she was able to get though his senses, but his surprise was cut short by her words.

"I don't know what you see in those dreams of yours, but I want you to know that I'm here if you want to talk about them…Naruto."

The last Uzumaki gave a small smile before he turned his gaze to the starlit skies. "Thank you, Mai…"

(End)

1~ This will be the final time Naruto has a wardrobe change. Just picture him in his Sennin attire, except the hiate is Uzu, he has Sharingan in his scarred right eye, and his hair is slightly spikier.

And that was chapter seven! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the future chapters to come! If you have any questions or concerns, PM me!

Now please: Review! Review! Review!

**Current ages:**

**Naruto:** (physical) 26; (actual) 5116

**Mai:** 17

**Aang:** (physical) 12; (actual) 112

**Ozai:** 45

**Ursa: **42

**Iroh:** 64

**Zuko:** 18

**Azula:** 17

**Ty Lee:** 17

**Lo and Li:** 81

**Katara: **16

**Sokka:** 17

**Suki:** 17

**Bumi:** 112

Next Time: The Gaang heads to Jade Peak Island in search of answers! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	8. Chapter 8: Jade Peak Island

Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the next chapter of "Mai's Teacher"!

AN1: Wow… The poll is a damn landslide victory for Naruto ending Zhao… 72 votes for him, 6 votes for Aang, and 2 votes for Zuko… Yea, maybe the poll was just a waste of time…

AN2: To the guest reviewer who signed as "Jmw", I'm sorry to say that I won't do your story idea. Don't get me wrong; it is a great idea. However, I have too much on my plate at the present time, and I haven't even read/watched Fairy Tale. So, thanks but no.

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto or Avatar the Last AirBender

"Speech"

_'__Thoughts'_

**"Higher Being Speech"**

**_'__Higher Being Thoughts'_**

"_Jutsu_"

(Technique Translations)

Scene or Time Change/Chapter Name

Chapter 8: Jade Peak Island

Over the ocean Appa flew as the Gaang made their way to the mysterious Jade Peak Island. Aang was anxious about what he would find while Katara tried to have him calm down. Sokka was busy looking over the map for the quickest route to the North Pole. There were multiple ways they could travel, but he had to choose the most efficient one.

Naruto had finally fallen asleep after his talk with Mai the previous night while his student sat next to him. She was reading her family scrolls at first, but the conversation she had with her sensei the previous night was still running through her mind.

Naruto had explained the dreams he had been having to her and asked for her opinion on them. It was quite a surprise to her when she was told of the details of his dreams and she had an idea of what they may be about. She had told him that the two women in the dream could possibly be his future family; the woman being a wife and the young girl being a child.

Naruto grew silent after that and merely watched the moon for the rest of the night while Mai went back to sleep. She knew that he needed time to go over it all, so she gave him some space. It turns out that the last Uzumaki had gone over it for the entire night before he finally succumbed to sleep, leaving Mai to keep the others quiet so he could do so peacefully.

Mai was thinking of the possibility of Naruto dreaming about his family as well, and it worried her. Naruto had told her that he felt happier than he had ever been, for obvious reasons, but he also felt incredible sadness and regret. Various outcomes for those feelings flew through her thoughts before two stuck to her: either the woman and child would die…or Naruto would. The thought of her teacher and friend dying frightened her and she made a silent promise to herself that she wouldn't let him die.

Her thoughts were interrupted by Katara moving towards them. "How is he?" asked the WaterBender.

"He's still resting… He had a…long night."

Katara nodded before she asked the one thing that she, her brother, and Aang had all been wondering. "How did you two meet?"

Mai gave them a suspicious look and asked back, "Why do you want to know?"

Katara put up her hands in a placating manner and answered, "I didn't mean to intrude or offend; I was just curious. You two seem real close."

Mai was silent at that and turned her hardened gaze to her teacher and friend. The others saw her eyes soften and a barely noticeable smile form on her lips. "Yea… I guess you could say that Naruto-sensei and I are close."

"You seem to hold him in high regard," Sokka commented.

"And for good reason," Mai retorted. "He is the only person who really took the time to get to k now the real me. He also chose me as a student when he could've chosen any other person… He's also the only person I could ever call 'friend'."

Unknown to them, Naruto was silently listening as Mai spoke to the trio. He gave a small smile at her words and thought, _'Any fool could see that the real you is much better than that mask you put over yourself, Mai. I wouldn't have chosen you as my apprentice if I did not see it.'_

"He sounds like a good person," Katara said with a small smile.

"Yea, he is… I wouldn't be who I am today if I never met him," Mai stated while putting away her scroll.

"So, how did you two meet?" asked the AirBender.

"…To tell you the truth, it was completely by surprise that I found him."

"You 'found him'? What does that mean?" asked Sokka.

"Just that; I found him and that's how we met. He was wrapped around a white cocoon-like thing in this cave on Ember Island. The cocoon had a sealing tag on it that kept him in a similar state that you were in," she explained while pointing at Aang. "He did not age and he was stuck there until someone 'worthy' came and removed the seal."

"So, you were the 'worthy' one?" asked Sokka while Mai nodded in response. "How did he know that when he was out of it?"

"I had Kyuubi remain awake throughout the years of my sealing," answered Naruto, surprising the others. "The fox was able to sense the worthiness in Mai and had her remove the seal, freeing me in the process. After that, I went with Mai to the Fire Nation Capital, spoke to that fool Ozai, demonstrated my skills in front of an audience, and took Mai as my student. Later on, she became my apprentice, and my successor as Sage of the Toads."

"Toads?" asked Aang in confusion.

"Yes, let her show you." He then turned to Mai and said, "Summon Yuki here, Mai. I have some questions to ask her anyway."

Mai nodded and bit her thumb before going through the necessary handseals for the jutsu before she summoned Gamayuki in a small plume of smoke. The cat-sized toad looked around in confusion before she noticed her two summoners.

"Ah, Naruto and Mai! I was wondering when you'd summon me again," she said making the trio freeze in shock while Mai and Naruto smirked.

"How are you, Yuki?" asked the blonde.

"I'm doing well, Naruto. I've been keeping an eye on the Fire Nation like you asked."

"Anything new happen lately?" asked the Uzumaki's apprentice.

"Quite a bit, actually… Ozai is slowly building up his militia, Zhao has been promoted to Commander and has begun chasing the Avatar, some of the war meetings are speaking of conquering smaller Earth Kingdom Nations so that they could set up supply camps for some major invasion force… They also have a map of the Northern Air Temple and a part of the Northern Water Tribe."

Naruto nodded at the information while Mai processed it through her mind and the trio looked shocked at the little toad's words. "Any news on Ty Lee ever since she left for the circus?" asked Mai.

"She's doing very well for herself and the shows are almost always sold out. She's happier now, Mai."

Mai gave a small smile at that while Naruto asked, "What of Azula?"

Yuki gave a scowl and replied, "She still worships her father and acts like the 'perfect' daughter while increasing her training regimen. She has begun studying how to create lightning with FireBending…"

"I see… Thank you for all of your hard work, Yuki. Go home and be with your family. You haven't seen them for a while, right?"

"No, I haven't… I'm sure they'll be pleased to see me. Summon me if you need me again," she said as she disappeared in another plume of smoke.

"That toad was just talking!" Sokka finally blurted out.

"Thank you for yelling out the obvious," Mai deadpanned before she turned to Naruto. "What should we do sensei?"

"For now, we focus on getting to Jade Peak Island. We'll deal with Ozai and Zhao when-" he said before stopping short. "On second thought, I'll deal with Zhao's little ship right now," he finished before he launched himself off of Appa and stood in midair with his _Kazepo_.

Down below the flying bison, a single Fire Navy ship was seen heading after them. With his Sharingan, Naruto was able to see far enough to tell that Zhao was standing on the deck issuing out commands. An opening appeared on the deck before a large catapult was raised up. Zhao ordered the rock that was about to be launched to be set aflame before he yelled out, "Fire!"

The flaming rock flew through the sky towards the last Uzumaki who stared at it impassively. He held his hands in the 'tiger' seal and said, "_Katon: Goukakyuu no Jutsu_ (Grand Fireball)!" From his lips, a large sphere of flame appeared and raced towards the fireball that Zhao's ship had launched before both met in a burst of fire and broken rock. Naruto then held his hands in the 'bird' seal and called out, "_Suiton: Suiryudan no Jutsu_ (Water Dragon)!"

To the awe of the Gaang, especially Katara, water swirled in the ocean before it rose skyward and took the form of a serpentine dragon that charged at Zhao's ship. The dragon struck the catapult and ripped into the side of the ship before it fell back into the ocean. The ship slowed to a halt from the damage and Naruto launched himself from his wind platform back onto Appa's saddle.

"There, that should hold them off for a while."

"H-How did you do that? That was the most amazing water technique I've ever seen!" Katara asked in amazement.

"Not to mention that fireball you shot and the fact that you stood in _midair_!" Sokka added.

Naruto merely smirked and stated, "Such acts, with the right training, are child's play for a shinobi."

"Can you use all four elements?" asked Aang.

"I can utilize all _five_ elements, Aang. Benders use Air, Water, Earth, and Fire while shinobi add Lightning to the list. Not to mention all of the many sub-elements that can be formed from mixing two elements together."

"Can you do that, sensei?" asked the Nara.

"I can, but it is extremely difficult; especially since most are not created by my main affinities. Now, we're wasting time. We need to hurry to the island."

The rest nodded before Aang began guiding Appa to the island once more.

Island Shore (Three Hrs Later)

Appa rested on the grassy shore of the island with Momo resting on the saddle. Aang was looking toward the island mountain peaks and was amazed that they shone with a green light.

"Wow… I can't believe that the island really has jade peaks," he commented.

"I wonder how they get that color," Katara mused out loud.

"Maybe the island is rich in jade gems?" Sokka suggested with a grin.

"Doubtful… If anything, those trees on the mountains most likely have leaves that shine like jade in the right light," Mai stated calmly.

"You're both right," Naruto said as his dojutsu observed the island. "The leaves of the trees do have a unique jade color, but I also see a few scarce gems of jade around the island."

"Do you see the temple?" asked the Avatar.

"Yes… It's on the southern most peak…and we've landed on the western shore."

"So, we have a long walk ahead of us, don't we?" Sokka asked glumly.

"Sorry guys, but Appa's tired from all of that flying. It shouldn't take us too long to reach the temple," Aang said enthusiastically.

"Why is it that we get stuck with the optimist?"

"Well, while you three search that temple, Mai and I will keep an eye on Appa," Naruto said as he created a clone and sent it to fetch some food and firewood.

"Why aren't you two coming?" asked the WaterBender.

"Zhao and his men won't stay delayed for long. With Mai and I here to meet them, you three should have plenty of time to search that temple."

Aang gave a grateful nod. "Thanks. Now then, let's go search that temple!" he said with determination before he started walking with Sokka immediately following.

Katara hesitated and turned to the two shinobi. "You two will be okay, right?"

"Don't worry about us. Go help Aang," Naruto assured her.

"We'll be fine. After all, two shinobi are worth an army of FireBenders, right sensei?" asked Mai.

Naruto gave a small smirk and answered, "Without a doubt."

Katara nodded before she followed after her brother and friend.

With Zhao

"Sir, we have patched up the holes in the ship and are ready to meet up with the others at Jade Peak Island," said a soldier to his Commander.

"Excellent. I was wondering when you would finally finish the repairs. To the island, at full speed!" ordered Zhao to his men.

"Yes sir!" they chorused as the ship resumed its trek to the island.

With the Trio

While the island may have had plenty of forestation and life, it didn't mean that it lacked humidity; something that Sokka made no hesitation to complain about.

"Sokka, for the last time, we get it! It's hot, we're sweaty, and we still have a ways to go. Get over it!" yelled Katara to her brother.

"How can I get over this heat?! We're gonna get lost without any food, water, or shelter while Naruto and Mai are having the time of their lives with Appa and Momo at the shore!"

Aang merely sighed at his friend's complaints and pushed through some more vegetation before he saw a stone stairway leading into a mountainside. "Hey guys, I think I found the entrance to the temple!"

"Oh thank the Spirits!" Sokka said overdramatically. "Now, we just have to go through the temple, have Aang figure out what needs to be done, and then get the hell out of here!"

Katara was about to admonish her brother before a faint explosion was heard back towards the west. "It looks like the Fire Nation is here."

"Naruto and Mai can hold them off," Aang reassured her. "Right now, we need to get through this temple."

With the Shinobi

"Well, this seems like a really annoying situation," Naruto commented dryly as four Fire Navy ships docked on the sandy shore. "What do you think, Mai?"

"I would say that it's 'troublesome', but I've been so bored lately that I'm actually excited," she replied with a small smirk.

Naruto shook his head with a smile and popped his neck. "I guess you have a point. Time for a little excitement."

The troops stepped out of the ships, totaling in over fifty of them, before one of them stepped forward. "Naruto Uzumaki, by order of Fire Lord Ozai, you are to be killed for the crimes of treason, kidnapping, and unlawful possession of Fire Nation secrets."

"One: I was never a citizen of the Fire Nation. Two: Mai _chose_ to come with me. And three: those 'secrets' are what I taught my student. They belong to me and whoever I choose to teach them to."

"Regardless of your petty arguments, we are ordered to dispose of you and take the girl back to the Capital."

Naruto scratched his chin thoughtfully. "Is that so? You really believe that your Benders have a chance against me?" He chuckled at the idea of it, unnerving some of the soldiers, before he narrowed his eyes at them. The soldiers froze in fear at the slitted, blood red eyes as Naruto spoke, "Your centuries too early to even _scratch_ me."

"_Ninpo: Kagemane no Jutsu_!" yelled Mai as she held her hands in the 'rat' seal and launched her shadow towards the soldiers. It latched on to about ten of them and the Nara had them follow her to another section of the beach. "Sensei, I'll handle these soldiers."

"Understood, and be careful," he replied before he cut the youki flowing through him, snapping the men out of their primal fear. "Now then," he started before he unsealed his Sennin Staff, "let's have a little fun."

With Mai

"Hold still, brat!" yelled a FireBender as he launched another fireball at the girl who deftly dodged it with a well-timed back-flip.

"I don't feel like holding still, thank you," she retorted as she flew through handseal. "_Raiton: __Den'atsu Muchi_!" she yelled before she swung her lightning whip at her opponents. Each hit cracked with volts of electricity, making the men keep a fair distance.

"Damn it! That whip of hers is too dangerous!" cursed one of the soldiers.

"Don't worry… As long as we keep our distance and wait for her to tire out, we'll be fine," stated another.

_'You would think that, wouldn't you?'_ thought Mai with a smirk before she flew through more seals ending on the 'dragon' seal. "_Raiton: Jibashi_ (Electromagnetic Murder)!" she called as a wave of electricity flew from her hands and struck half of the soldiers. The soldiers hit by the jutsu were shocked into unconsciousness with small volts of electricity dancing across their bodies every few seconds.

"Damn, she's too strong!" said a FireBender as he released a wave of fire at her. The flames struck her, making her scream in pain and the Bender smirk. "That ought to teach that little brat."

"Oh really?" called out Mai's voice from behind the Bender. He turned to see her perfectly unscathed. "What was it you were trying to teach me?" she asked in boredom.

'_H-How did she-?'_ he thought before a chain made of shadows wrapped around his neck and threw him into another soldier.

Soon, more shadow chains sprung from the sand and wrapped around the remaining three soldiers before they were all lifted into the air and slammed into one another, rendering them unconscious. Mai nodded to herself and was about to return to her teacher before she heard a small groan and saw the FireBender who called her 'brat' slowly get up. "Well, you're made of some tougher stuff than I originally thought," she commented dryly.

"You little brat… You'll pay for this humiliation!" he yelled before he went through the motions for bending lightning.

He was nearly finished before Mai pointed her middle and pointer fingers at his chest. "Not today," she said as she released her _Gian_ (False Darkness) at him. The shot of blue lightning pierced through his chest, making him freeze in shock before his eyes glazed over and he fell dead. Mai stared at the body with regret and whispered, "I'm sorry," before she left to back up her teacher.

With Naruto

The blonde ducked under another fireball before he lashed out with his staff and struck one of the soldiers. The blow had small amounts of Senjutsu in it, making the soldier's wound slowly be encased in stone and scaring the other soldiers.

"Y'know, if you keep getting close, you'll turn to stone eventually," commented the Jinchuriki as he readied his weapon.

The soldiers looked to one another and nodded before they all let loose a stream of flame at the Uzumaki. The blonde smirked and activated his _Kamui_, letting the flames harmlessly fly through him and strike unintended targets.

He released the technique before he shook his head in disappointment. "Really now, is this all you guys are capable of? And you actually thought you'd have a chance at killing me?"

The eighteen soldiers, once numbering forty, all took small steps back in fear. "What do we do now?" asked one of them in slight panic.

"You fight on and kill that man in the name of Lord Ozai!" called out Zhao as his ship landed on the shore and he stepped off with twenty extra men.

"Ah, Commander Zhao," Naruto greeted before giving a mock bow. "You grace me with your presence at last."

"Save your jokes for the afterlife, Uzumaki! You're set to die her today, and your little _student_ will be returned to the Fire Nation where she will help raise up a new breed of Fire Nation soldier."

"Technically, shinobi aren't a new breed. They were around over four millennia ago, Zhao," Naruto said with a smirk.

"That may be, but the kind the Fire Nation will raise will far supersede the ones from your time, you relic of the past."

Naruto shrugged and sealed away his staff before a gust of wind flew around the soldiers and they were launched into the water by an unseen force. Zhao was left untouched and he saw Naruto's form flicker slightly when the wind picked up.

"An interesting trick, Uzumaki," he said stoically. "What do you do for an encore?"

Naruto stared impassively at him before his body dissolved into a flock of ravens that flew around Zhao; each with blue and red eyes. A few formed together into Naruto's upper body floating in midair with the rest kept circling the Fire Nation Commander. "What makes you think that the Fire Nation will succeed in killing me and taking Mai? After all, you alone could die in a mere _second_ by my hands; Ozai in a _few_ seconds. Where does your confidence in your nation hail from?"

"I serve my nation proudly; something you never did, Uzumaki. I've read your history, and you left your people to die twice in one lifetime. What do you know about loyalty to one's country?"

Naruto closed his eyes at that and replied, "You're right… I don't know about loyalty to my country. However, I have a loyalty to something much more important."

"And what is that?"

The Uzumaki's eyes snapped open, revealing his youki-enhanced pupils, and the ravens all transformed into shuriken before they flew at Zhao. As the sliced into the Commander, making him growl in pain, he answered, "I serve my precious people."

Zhao fell to a knee in pain and glared at the Jinchuriki before the sight of the blonde shattered like glass and revealed nothing. He looked to his body and saw that he was unscathed and turned to his men, only to see that they were still knocked into the water.

As he turned his attention back to where the blonde was, he saw Naruto standing next to Mai with both shinobi holding a kunai. "You should leave while you can, Zhao. I'm feeling merciful today, so I'll let you and your men go," said the Uzumaki.

Zhao glared hatefully at the blonde before he reluctantly made his way back to his ship and ordered his men to return as well.

As the ships left, Mai commented, "This won't be the last we see of him; not by a long shot."

"I know, but he isn't a problem for me and he won't be for you with time." Mai nodded before she gained a depressed look, making her teacher turn to her. "You regret killing that soldier from before, don't you?"

Mai turned away from him at his question. "I wish you'd stop reading my emotions like that, Naruto."

"I can't help it when I feel them rolling off of you in waves." He then placed a reassuring hand on her shoulder, making her turn and see his small smile. "It's okay, Mai… So long as you feel regret and sadness for each life you take, you're still human. It's only when you feel nothing, or even enjoy it, that you become a monster."

Mai's eyes began to water up before she was embraced by the blonde. "I didn't want to… I never wanted to kill anyone," she whispered as she cried.

Naruto just held her close and reassured her that it would be alright while Mai embraced the comfort. _'Mai, it will only get harder from here on,'_ he thought to himself sadly.

With the Trio

Aang led the group through the tunnel-like halls of the temple with a torch in hand. It was dark due to being underground and the only light in the temple was the few torches that glowed within its halls.

"We're lost, aren't we?" asked Sokka as he followed Aang with his own torch.

"I don't know, Sokka," admitted Katara as she walked between them. "I hope not, though…"

"There has only been a single path so far in this temple," Aang reminded them. "If we feel like we've gone far enough, we could always turn back and just follow the path back out." The path before them soon opened up into a large room with a stairway leading up to an altar. The AirBender had his friends stay at the bottom of the stairs as he made his way to the altar.

The stone table had runes from a period long ago, though not as far as the Shinobi Era, that Aang couldn't make out. He held the torch above them for a better look and blew off the dust before he saw another set of runes light up from the glow of the torch.

_"A strong will leads to true peace. One must have the will to do whatever it takes to protect the world; even if the action needed is seen as an act of evil in the eyes of others. To all Avatars who come across this, if you lack the will and the drive to do what must be done, peace is but a dream and nothing more,"_ Aang read aloud before his AirBender tattoos glowed brightly along with his eyes.

The glow of the Avatar State caused the walls to light up with multiple jade gems and cover the room in a greenish glow. Katara and Sokka looked around as pieces of rubble around the room rose up and formed an orb of earth around Aang and the altar.

"Aang!" they called out in surprise, but the Avatar was in his own world at the moment.

Vision

Aang saw that he was in an area surrounded by various lights and fog and looked around in confusion before he sensed presences behind him. He turned to see an incredibly tall woman in armor reminiscent to that of the Kyoshi Warriors, white and red face paint, and a golden headdress.

"Avatar Kyoshi…" he whispered in surprise.

"Avatar Aang… I've been expecting your arrival," she responded. "Although, I honestly was expecting you much sooner, when you had learned EarthBending. Why are you here now when you know nothing but your birth element?"

"I was told of this place by my friend, King Bumi. He said that many of the EarthBending Avatars came here to seek enlightenment."

"Yes, that is true, but the key word was _EarthBender_, young Avatar. It is still too early for you to truly seek enlightenment here."

Aang looked down at that. "So, I came here for nothing then?"

"Not necessarily… I can still point you in the right direction."

"Please do," requested Aang.

"Seeing as you have not begun studying the other elements yet, I would suggest heading for the Eastern Air Temple, where the AirBending Avatars begin their spiritual journeys. Then, you head to the Northern Water Temple after you master WaterBending, come back here when you master EarthBending, and then head to the Southern Fire Temple when you've master FireBending."

The AirBender slowly nodded and thought it over. "So, I would be going in a reverse clockwise pattern?"

Precisely… It is important to visit each temple and gather wisdom from each one. However, the path you choose is ultimately up to you, Aang. The path you choose must be of your own violation."

"I understand. Thank you for telling me this, Avatar Kyoshi."

"Of course. Also, the man who precedes us has an important role in your time as the Avatar as well; probably more important than your role. Be sure that he does not fully give up on peace, Aang, or else not even you can stop the threats of the future," warned the EarthBender Avatar as the vision ended.

Real World

The sphere of earth crumbled from around Aang before he and the other two were engulfed in spheres of light and disappeared. The lights took the trio to the outside of the temple, leaving them disoriented and confused.

"How did we get out here?" asked Sokka.

"I think the temple transported us out of there after it felt that we got what we came for," Aang offered.

"The temple can't 'feel' when we're done or not!" Sokka argued.

"Sokka, you saw what happened when Aang entered the Avatar State. I wouldn't be surprised if the temple actually did transport us out of there, especially since it lit up after Aang read that tablet."

Sokka raised a finger and opened his mouth to protest before he just sighed and muttered about 'strange spiritual crap'.

"Anyway, we better get back to the others," Aang suggested before the trio made their way back to the beach.

That Night

Naruto sat next to his student as she finally fell asleep. She hadn't taken her first kill well at all and he knew that she needed time to sort it all out. The Gaang except for him and Aang had already fallen asleep. The blonde still wanted to know what happened back in the temple.

"So, what exactly happened in there?" he asked Aang.

"I met Avatar Kyoshi in a vision and she told me where to go when I learn the other elements. She also said that your role is important in this time, Naruto. She even thinks that it's more important than mine now."

Naruto looked slightly surprised at that and commented, "I guess the world still needs me after all."

"The world needs all of us. No single person can bring peace to the world."

"Well, according to the people of the world, the _one person_ needed is the Avatar," Naruto reminded him.

"Even I know that I can't bring peace on my own. I'm going to need your help on this, Naruto; yours and Mai's."

Naruto looked to his student and gave a small smile before he replied, "I don't see a reason why we can't help you out. I still expect you to focus on what needs to be done though, Aang."

"I know," he agreed as he went back to sleep.

Naruto looked to the starry sky and thought to himself, _'I guess helping the world one last time wouldn't be too bad.'_ He then turned to Mai and continued, _'I hope Mai knows that I most likely won't survive this though.'_

**"I'm sure that when the time comes, she'll understand what you'll have to do."**

_'You really believe that the Juubi is going to make a second appearance, don't you?'_

**"I have no doubt in my mind. You're going to have to be ready when it does appear, Naruto. We can't afford you being unprepared for this."**

_'I know Kurama… I know…'_ he replied.

(End)

And that was chapter eight! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the future chapters to come! If you have any questions or concerns, PM me!

Now please: Review! Review! Review!

**Current ages:**

**Naruto:** (physical) 26; (actual) 5116

**Mai:** 17

**Aang:** (physical) 12; (actual) 112

**Ozai:** 45

**Ursa: **42

**Iroh:** 64

**Zuko:** 18

**Azula:** 17

**Ty Lee:** 17

**Lo and Li:** 81

**Katara: **16

**Sokka:** 17

**Suki:** 17

**Bumi:** 112

Next Time: Aang begins his studies with WaterBending and Naruto increases Mai's training! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	9. Chapter 9: Sandy Knowledge and Hope

Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the next chapter of "Mai's Teacher"!

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto or Avatar the Last AirBender

AN: When I'm referring to Aang, Sokka, and Katara, I will call them "Trio". When I refer to the whole group, I'll call them "Gaang". This is just for the convenience of me and you all.

"Speech"

_'__Thoughts'_

**"Higher Being Speech"**

**_'__Higher Being Thoughts'_**

_"Jutsu"_

(Technique Translations)

Scene Shift

Chapter 9: Sandy Knowledge and Hope

"Again!" yelled Naruto to his student as she flew through handseals and held her right wrist in her left hand. The sound of thousands of birds chirping was heard throughout the rocky clearing they stood in as the _Chidori_ began to form in her right hand. With her face lit up by the bluish-white lightning, Mai spotted her next target and rushed towards it. Her right hand was held low, the lightning tearing a path on the ground before she plunged it into a boulder. Her hand easily pierced into it before the lightning surged and destroyed the large rock to dust and rubble.

Naruto stepped forward as she was panting slightly in exhaustion. It was understandable since this was her third try with the jutsu in a row. "H-How'd I do that time, sensei?"

The Kyuubi Jinchuriki surveyed the damage before he nodded. "I think you've finally gotten the hang of it. However, I want you to remember that the tunnel vision you get with this technique could wind up being your downfall if you aren't careful. It was one of the reasons why there are variants of this jutsu," he informed her as he formed his own _Chidori_ in his right hand. He looked to another boulder and waved his lighting coated hand, and to Mai's amazement, hundreds of needle-shaped bolts flew from the _Chidori_ and struck the boulder. "Like the _Chidori Senbon_ for example with its long range."

"How did you maintain the control to do that? Just the _Chidori_ alone takes all of my concentration."

"Years of practice plus my Sharingan allows me to see exactly how much chakra is needed. Don't worry; I'm sure you'll have it figured out in no time with my help."

"Thanks, but what about that other close range jutsu you showed me the other day?"

"Ah… That was my father's original technique; the _Rasengan_. You remember the two manipulations of chakra I told you of, right?"

"Yea, Shape Manipulation and Elemental Manipulation…"

"Correct. The _Rasengan_ is Shape Manipulation at nearly its highest difficulty," he stated as the spinning orb of chakra appeared in his hand. "Notice how the chakra spins at highly dangerous speeds yet it still maintains its spherical shape. This is possible due to Shape Manipulation. When you learn the _Chidori Senbon_, I'll begin your training with this as well as increase your studies in the Gama Arts."

"Yes sensei. By the way, how do you think Aang is doing in his WaterBending training with Katara?"

"He shouldn't have too many problems since it is his natural second element to learn. If any element will give him problems, it will be his natural opposite; Earth."

As if the universe conspired to prove his point, the two shinobi saw a large wave of water rise up and fall, and they heard Sokka yell in surprise. "Yea, I think you're right on that, Naruto," Mai deadpanned.

Naruto shook his head with a sigh and muttered something about the kid needing to learn control before he had his student try one last _Chidori_ just to see if her control would stay the same.

Next Day (Market Town)

The Gaang strolled through the busy, shop-filled streets of the port town they had landed Appa near. They were running low on supplies and hoped to get some in the town. The Trio had a total of twelve copper pieces while the shinobi duo had five silver pieces. Unfortunately for them, Aang had decided to spend ten of their copper pieces on a bison whistle that he "just couldn't say 'no' to". Katara decided to hold on to the remaining copper pieces after their major loss.

While Naruto and Mai spent the remainder of their funds on fruits and fish, they noticed the Trio enter a large ship with no 'colors'. Naruto sighed in irritation before he and Mai followed them inside. They caught up with them just in time to hear Katara ask, "So, how much for the 'traded' scroll?"

The 'seller', who had a reptilian-like bird on his shoulder and was dressed in typical pirate garb, answered, "I already got a buyer; a nobleman from the Earth Kingdom. Unless you all have 300 gold pieces on ya right now?"

Naruto had to resist the urge to face-palm at the sight of Aang's attempts at bartering with the pirate. _'Honestly, who is foolish enough to try and buy an expensive scroll for only two copper?'_

After his failed bartering, Aang was urged to leave by a nervous Katara. Naruto shook his head in exasperation at the sight of the scroll barely visible in her clothing, but he and Mai still followed the Trio off the ship.

They didn't get far though when the pirate that told them of the curios (1) on the ship ran after them followed by about ten others, each holding weapons. "Give back what you stole!" he ordered before the Trio ran off. Naruto and Mai remained where they were with sweat-drops forming on their heads while the pirates all gave chase. Once they were gone, the blonde led his student back inside the ship, much to her confusion, and took a gander at the other scrolls that the pirate had.

"Here to steal something like your friends?" asked the Captain with his hand on his sword.

"No, we aren't like that," answered the Uzumaki without looking away from the scroll collection. "I know you pirates aren't as 'criminal' as people make you out to be. You all follow a 'Code' of sorts, right?"

"Aye, that we do, lad. Though, not many people are as calm about it as you are."

"When you've lived as long as I have, you tend to stop caring about the 'public opinion' of many things," was Naruto's cryptic response before his eyes caught sight of a scroll with the symbol of Suna on it. He pulled it out and asked, "Where did you get this?"

The Captain took the scroll from the blonde's hands and took a closer look at it. "I actually won this in a game of Chance against some random drunk one night. I wagered a scroll on the Earth Kingdom against it. The writing in it is nothing I've ever seen before, though."

"That's because it's the writing of the Age of Chaos. I doubt there are many people who could actually read it these days."

"Are you able to?"

Naruto nodded and asked for the scroll before he opened it up and looked at the contents. Inside was some description on puppetry as well as a storage seal. _'Interesting… I didn't think there would be any scrolls or knowledge on this in the world.'_ He closed the scroll and asked, "How much would it take for you to part with this?"

"Well, seeing as it's so rare with the limited number of people capable of reading it, I'd say that this could easily go for 500 gold pieces," replied the Captain with a smirk.

Mai's eyes widened at the ridiculousness of the price while Naruto closed his eyes as if in thought. He slowly opened them while focusing his Sharingan on the man. The three tomoe spun in a slow, hypnotic manner while the Captain's eyes slowly glazed over. "I'm sorry, I believe I misheard you. How much did you say it was?"

"It's free of charge," answered the pirate in a dazed voice.

Naruto gave a small smirk and pocketed the scroll. "It was nice doing business with you," he said before he grabbed Mai's shoulder and the duo disappeared in a swirl of wind.

With the Trio (Forest Lake Clearing)

Katara growled in frustration as she was once again unable to perform the Water Whip from the WaterBending Scroll she 'liberated' from the pirates. Aang didn't help her calm down when he performed the technique flawlessly while offering advice. In fact, she went off on him in anger before she noticed that his feelings had been hurt by her outburst. She quickly apologized to him and he accepted it just as the shinobi duo arrived in the clearing.

"I thought you said that we weren't like those three to that pirate, Naruto?" Mai said with a smug grin.

"The thing about being a shinobi, my cute apprentice, is that deception is your greatest weapon," he replied with a smirk while Mai blushed at being called 'cute'. "Besides, there probably isn't another person on this earth that could read this scroll, let alone use its teachings. Even I would have incredible difficulty with this since the control needed is extraordinary."

"How much would be needed?"

"A higher level than that of shinobi medics," he replied seriously, making sure she understood how difficult puppetry was. "The only reason I'm truly keeping this is because it is a piece of Suna's, and my times, history."

Mai nodded before Sokka called out, "So, you stole from them too?"

Naruto's smirk returned as he replied, "Actually, the Captain _graciously_ gave me this free of charge. He was very civil once we got to know him."

Aang and Katara laughed while Mai shook her head with a smile and Sokka rolled his eyes. "Those pirates aren't exactly going to be too thrilled when they find us. I say we pack up and get moving."

"I agree. We have our supplies, and then some, so we should leave while there's still light out," Mai added. "We shouldn't stay in one place for too long, after all."

"Well said, Mai. Although, this is where we temporarily part ways, Aang," Naruto stated, making the AirBender look confused.

"Why's that?" Katara asked, equally confused.

"I need to check on something and the three of you need to get to the North Pole as fast as you can. Mai and I will meet you there in a few weeks' time."

"Will you guys be okay?" asked the AirBender in slight worry.

"We'll be fine. We're shinobi after all," Mai assured with a small smirk while Naruto nodded.

"Alright then, we'll see you in a few weeks," Sokka said as he got on the Appa's saddle followed by the other two and Momo.

Naruto nodded before he had Mai got on his back and launched himself into the air. The Trio watched them move through the air before the shinobi were out of sight.

With the Shinobi (Two Days Later)

Naruto and his student were making their way on foot through a small forest towards a random Earth Kingdom town. He pulled out a map of the world that he had bought back in Omashu and noticed that they were about a day's travel away from the Si Wong Desert, where the rumored Largest Library of the World resided. What Naruto was mainly focused on concerning the desert was that it was where Suna once resided. He had planned to see if any part of the ancient shinobi village still remained before he moved on to the other three villages of Kiri, Kumo, and Iwa.

Seeing as he had the only info on Uzu and Konoha, due to his final stay in each village before their destruction, Naruto wanted to collect whatever he could of the remaining Hidden Villages in hopes of keeping everything from the Shinobi Era alive and in one place. When he told of his plans to Mai, she was slightly surprised at the size of his goal but she promised to help him achieve it.

With their destination set, Naruto and Mai traveled via _Kazepo_ to the Misty Palms Oasis, the only source of water closest to where Suna would be. While it would've been a day's travel on foot, with the unique method Naruto had, it would take them two hours tops.

With the Trio

While the shinobi made their way to the infamous desert of the Earth Kingdom, the Trio had stopped at a port town where a large storm had come with fairly little warning. Sokka and an old fisherman were out at sea in hopes of getting a good haul, but the storm made their trek turn into them being lost at sea.

While Aang was telling Katara of his final moments before his frozen state one hundred years ago, the fisherman's wife begged them to save her husband from the raging storm. Aang, Katara, and Momo climbed onto Appa and quickly made their way through the raging winds and pestering rainfall before they spotted the fisherman and Sokka.

After getting them off of the sinking boat and onto Appa, they tried to safely make it back to shore. Unfortunately, a large wave towered over them and engulfed them in its watery wake. While most fell unconscious from the impact, Aang was able to enter his Avatar State and surround them all in a large sphere of air before he steered Appa out of the sea and towards shore. Along the way, he saw Zuko on the deck of his storm-wrecked ship and the two glanced at one another before Aang and the others flew out of the prince's sight.

With the Shinobi

As soon as Naruto landed about half a mile away from the oasis, he paused and looked at a random direction. He had felt the large pulse of energy that Aang had released upon his entrance into the Avatar State and was curious as to what sparked it. As soon as the spike of energy reached his senses, it faded back into calmness, making him put the thought of what happened aside in favor of what was happening now.

Led by Mai, the two entered the oasis and walked into a small bar-like building where they each got a refreshing drink and a room for the night. While his apprentice slept, Naruto studied the map once more and made marks on possible locations for where the lost village of Suna could be located. Apparently, the patrons of the bar each called the desert a death wish to travel across due to its heat, lack of water, and vast size. The Uzumaki waved off their words since he had been through the deserts surrounding Suna many times in the past. To him, this was just another one of those times.

The next morning, Naruto filled three waterskins full of water before the shinobi duo began their journey. To protect them from the raging, sandy winds of the desert, Naruto surrounded them in a dome of air. What made the dome a godsend for Mai was that it also kept them cool with its constant movement and trapped breeze.

They walked for what seemed like hours, sparingly taking drinks of water, before an interesting sight came before them. A lone fox with a scroll in its mouth moved through the sands with ease and without any signs of stopping.

**"Well, there's something you don't see every day. Although, I am curious; most of the animals in this time are hybrid creatures. So why is it that the foxes are still single species?"**

_'Maybe the foxes couldn't think of breeding with a different species,'_ suggested the Jinchuriki making his tenant hum in though.

**"Perhaps… In any case, that Kitsune obviously is heading somewhere in this Kami forsaken desert. Follow it."**

Naruto mentally nodded before he and Mai picked up the pace and followed the vulpine creature. It wasn't long before they saw the fox reach what looked to be the top of a tower and easily scale the wall before entering a window near the top.

Naruto and Mai walked up to the tower and the blonde put a hand to its structure before he sent a pulse of chakra into it. Using the energy as a type of echolocation, Naruto was able to get a small glimpse of the size of the buried structure. It amazed him that the building was easily the size of a palace if not larger. Naruto jerked his head to the window and the two shinobi walked up to it with chakra before they gazed into the tower.

Before their eyes were countless books and scrolls placed neatly and orderly on many different shelves on multiple levels. The fox they saw earlier was also seen running down a hallway before they lost track of it. Naruto took out a kunai and stabbed it into the wall closest to the window before he tied the end of a 50 foot rope and the two shinobi climbed down with it.

As soon as they touched the carpeted walkway, Naruto felt a powerful presence approach their position. "Mai, get ready in case we need to fight our way back out," he ordered as she nodded in consent. Before their eyes, a large black owl with a pure white face and coal colored eyes walked up to them. While Naruto was a tall height of 6' 1", the owl easily stood at a height of nearly 10 feet. Around the owl's neck was a worn looking brown sash with an all too familiar symbol on it; Suna's symbol.

**"What are you two humans doing here?"** asked the great bird. **"I thought I had made it clear many years ago that humans are no longer permitted within these halls."**

"We meant no harm to you, wise one. We were merely crossing the desert in hopes of finding any remains of the very village you wear the symbol of," answered the blonde making the owl's eyes narrow.

**"How do you know of Sunagakure? Where did you hear of the ancient home of my people?"**

"I knew the Yondaime Kazekage, Subaku no Gaara, thousands of years ago. He was my brother in all but blood."

The owl looked closer at the Uzumaki and studied his features; the whiskered face, golden hair, and bright blue eye with an obviously transplanted red eye. **"You are Naruto Uzumaki, the Sandaime Uzukage of Uzushiogakure as well as the fabled Child of Prophecy. My people spoke of how our summoner saw you in such high regard. Yes, Gaara was a wise man worthy of our contract; the only one who proved his worth before the world fell to darkness. I am Wan-Shi-Tong, he who knows 10,000 things, and keeper of this vast building of knowledge."**

Naruto and Mai bowed to him out of respect and greeting before Naruto said, "You know of me, but this is my apprentice Mai Nara. I plan to have her succeed me in the future as the Sennin of the Gama Clan."

"It's an honor to meet you," said the Nara respectfully.

**"It is a pleasure to meet you as well, child. Now Uzumaki-san, the knowledge of Sunagakure that you seek is within these halls. I have also found plenty of information on Iwagakure, but my knowledge seekers have been unable to find anything on Kirigakure, Kumogakure, Konohagakure, and Uzushiogakure."**

"The information and history on the last two are with me, Wan-dono. They are of my people and they will stay with me."

**"Of course; however, I ask that should you find anything on the other Hidden Villages that you bring it to me."**

Naruto nodded and pulled out the Puppetry Scroll before handing it towards the Knowledge Spirit. "Then I believe that this is yours by right."

The owl nodded in thanks before his large wing took the scroll from the blonde's hand. **"I had heard rumors of your return to the world, Uzumaki-san. I honestly was quite skeptical at first of them all, but I see now that they were indeed true. If you would come with me please; I have something for you from Gaara-sama."**

"Gaara left me something?"

**"Indeed, he left you a letter before he left for his final battle for Suna. It shames me to say that his efforts were unsuccessful and that Suna fell that day while we of the Fukurō **(2) **Clan held on to his letter to you."**

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for Gaara and his people," Naruto said solemnly.

**"It is in the past, Uzumaki-san. Gaara-sama died nobly and for his people. He was an honorable man to the very end."**

"That he was…" Naruto agreed before Wan led them to a room with nothing more than a single scroll on a pedestal. The owl waved a wing to the letter and Naruto approached the pedestal before he picked it up.

_"To my brother, I doubt that I will survive long enough to see you again. I pray that this reaches you eventually, for I want you to read my final words to you. You are the world's hope, Naruto. You are its light in the very darkness that it is now heading towards. I know that throughout our many talks that you have begun to doubt the idea of 'peace', but I ask of you not to give into hopelessness and fight for the one thing Jiraiya-sama left you; fight for his will he passed on to you. You once told me that he dreamed of a world of peace for all people. Well, even though I fear that this day will be my last, just know that I believe in his dream and that I will support you in both life and death. In this scroll are two things I offer to you to emphasize my will being passed onto you; my gourd of sand and the contact of the Fukurō Clan. May you use them in my memory and fight for what we all dream for deep down in our hearts; may you fight for peace._

_Subaku no Gaara, your brother"_

Naruto was clenching the scroll as tears fell from his eyes. _'Gaara…I'm so sorry for not being there for you. I hope that you can forgive me for that. You're right though; I have been falling deeper into hopelessness and losing faith in peace.'_ He wiped the tears from his eyes and used his chakra to release the storage seals within the letter. In plumes of smoke appeared a four inch scroll and a large gourd made of hardened sand. With his eyes burning in determination and growing hope, Naruto strapped the gourd to his back and used his blood to sign the Summoning Contract. _'But no more... From today until the bitter end, I will fight for the dreams of you, Jiraiya-sensei, and the world. I will once again fight for peace; I promise you!'_

Naruto turned back to his student and the Knowledge Spirit before he walked past them both and out of the room. Mai quickly caught up to him and walked beside him in silence. She saw that his strides had more meaning in them and that he emitted an aura of determination, making her smile slightly. In a moment of boldness, she took his hand in hers, making him look to her, and gave him her own look of determination. He gave her a small smile and gently squeezed her hand before he let go of her hand and kept walking.

Behind them, Wan-Shi-Tong followed after reading the letter from Gaara that Naruto gently left on the pedestal. In his mind he thought, _**'Gaara-sama, we of the Fukurō Clan will honor your last wish. Though it is not common, I will allow Naruto-san to keep our contract and summon us to aid him in his endeavors.'**_

"Wan, I need to know if Gaara had any scrolls that had information on his control of sand. I've never used it before and need to know how I can utilize it."

**"Of course. Follow me and I will show you all that I have in regards to Subaku no Gaara."**

The great owl took the lead and guided them through the halls of the vast library. Along the way, Naruto smiled and thought, _'Things are looking up for the future.'_

Bottom of the Northern Air Temple Mountain

After a battle for the temple between the Trio and Earth Kingdom refugees against the Fire Nation, a Fire Nation War Minister by the name of Qin smirked at the sight of the crashed war balloon that the refugees used to win. He had two FireBenders use their natural element to fill the balloon once more with air.

"This day may not have been a victory for the Fire nation, but the defeat we have suffered will open the gateway to many future ones. I want this balloon ready for travel in ten minutes! We have a lot of work to do!" called the War Minister as his men began to work harder to get the balloon up into the air.

(End)

1~ Curios are basically items of interest, trinkets, or knick-knacks

2~ Fukurō means Owl in Japanese

And that was chapter nine! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the future chapters to come! If you have any questions or concerns, PM me!

Now please: Review! Review! Review!

**Current ages:**

**Naruto:** (physical) 26; (actual) 5116

**Mai:** 17

**Aang:** (physical) 12; (actual) 112

**Ozai:** 45

**Ursa: **42

**Iroh:** 64

**Zuko:** 18

**Azula:** 17

**Ty Lee:** 17

**Lo and Li:** 81

**Katara: **16

**Sokka:** 17

**Suki:** 17

**Bumi:** 112

Next Time: The Trio makes it to the Northern Water Tribe and the Shinobi make it just in time for the Northern Siege! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	10. Chapter 10: The Northern Siege

Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the next chapter of "Mai's Teacher"!

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto or Avatar the Last AirBender! You happy now?!

"Speech"

_'__Thoughts'_

**"Higher Being Speech"**

**_'__Higher Being Thoughts'_**

"_Jutsu_"

(Technique Translations)

Scene Shift

Chapter 10: The Northern Siege

Appa groaned as he hovered less than twenty feet above the northern ocean. The Trio had been riding on Appa for two days straight in hopes of getting to the North Pole faster, but the constant travelling was taking its toll on everyone. Sokka was complaining every five minutes, making the normally chipper Aang argue with him while Katara finally stopped playing mediator between the two.

They were brought out of their tense flight by a wall of spiky ice rising from the ocean in hopes of stopping Appa. Aang desperately steers Appa out of harm's way but the bison is eventually caught by the ice. When the Trio realized it was actually WaterBenders who stopped them, they let them know of Aang's status as the Avatar, allowing them passage into the city.

As the rode through the waterways of the Northern Tribe, Sokka spotted a young woman with snow white hair, bright blue eyes, and dressed in noble attire. Stunned by her beauty, he immediately resolved to meet her and talk to her.

During the Feast

Arnook, Chief of the Tribe, was proud to tell his people of Aang's arrival, much to the boy's embarrassment. There was also another thing he had to say.

"We also celebrate my daughter, Yue's sixteenth birthday! My beloved daughter is now of marrying age!" he said while presenting the girl Sokka saw earlier to the audience. Sokka smiled at his chance to prove himself to her and the Chief, but he wasn't the only one to do so. "Now, Master Paku and his WaterBending students will perform!"

An elderly man stood before the people of the tribe along with two students before the three of them began to bend the water in various shapes, forms, and styles. The water twisted against one another, spiraled like a typhoon, and finally met in one large clash, making the large room get covered in a thin mist.

Aang and Katara were astounded by the display and couldn't wait to learn from Paku.

With Zuko

The Fire Prince was laying in his room on his ship in anger. Zhao had just taken his entire crew for an expedition to the North Pole, leaving him and Iroh alone on the ship. Iroh had just left for a calming walk away from the ship, leaving the prince unaware of the danger he was now in.

The pirates that the Gaang ran into were hired by Zhao to kill Zuko by blowing up his entire ship. They sneakily climbed aboard with barrels full of blasting jelly, a highly explosive substance much like cannon powder.

By the time Zuko heard a noise of someone else on the ship with him, the jelly exploded and lit the ship with a fiery inferno.

Iroh heard the explosion and turned to see the wrecked ship, eyes widening in horror. "Zuko!" he cried as he ran to see if his nephew survived.

Northern Tribe (Two Days Later)

Much had happened in the last couple days since the trio arrived. Paku told of the rule forbidding women to learn WaterBending aside from healing, Katara learned that her Gran-Gran was born in the Northern Tribe before she left for the Southern Tribe, Paku and Katara had a Bending Battle to see if he would teach her, and finally Katara learned that her Gran-Gran was to marry Paku many years ago.

After learning of Katara's relationship with the woman he had loved, Paku left to think over a few things. Yue on the other hand was lost in a whirlwind of thought and emotion since she learned that Sokka's Gran-Gran actually went against the customs of the tribe for the sake of her own happiness. During the two days, Sokka attempted to woo the princess, but she kept him at arm's length as well as accepted his company. The mixed messages confused the Southern Tribe Warrior and he tried to talk to Yue after Katara's fight with Paku.

It turns out that Yue was given a betrothal necklace before Sokka even had the chance to get to know her. Driven by custom and tradition, Yue accepted at the price of her own happiness. Sokka was devastated at this but he still wished her a happy future before Yue surprised him with a passionate kiss beneath the moonlight. After the kiss, Yue told him that she still liked him, a lot, but she was confused on what to follow; years of tradition or her own heart. Sokka reluctantly told her that he would wait patiently for her to choose, and the two decided to stay friends until she finally decided.

After having time to think it over, Paku finally put aside the traditions and took Katara as his student, much to her and Aang's joy. They spent another few days in study and Katara showed that, with the right guidance, she was a true prodigy of WaterBending. She absorbed everything Paku taught her like a sponge and he couldn't have been more proud.

Aang on the other hand was not as focused as Katara and fooled around more than practiced.

It wasn't until the Trio had been staying at the Northern Tribe for five days that Sokka and other warriors noticed soot mixed with the falling snow. It only meant one thing; the Fire Nation was nearly there, and their numbers were extremely high.

With the Shinobi

Donned in gear ready for a full-blown battle, Naruto and Mai flew through the skies on a large snowy owl named Koyuki. Naruto had felt the many sources of energy making their way north and knew without a doubt that the Fire Nation had finally decided to attack the Northern Tribe.

The four days before he and Mai left Wan's Library were incredibly fruitful for the duo. Naruto spent hours each day manipulating the sand from both Gaara's gourd and the desert itself. At first, he barely moved the sand at all with his chakra and he was going nowhere. However, when he thought of Gaara, his will for the people of Suna, and the bonds the two Jinchuriki had in life, his control grew and the sand became much easier to manipulate. After discovering the secret, he had over 500 _Kage Bunshin_ stay in the desert and practice while he helped his student with her attempts at making _Chidori Senbon_.

Mai had a single clone helping her decrease the time needed to learn, but even that wasn't enough for the first two days. Naruto discovered her problem during the third day; she wasn't using enough Shape Manipulation and the shots of lighting were unable to stay stable long enough to fly from her hand. The two spent the third day having Mai get a feel for manipulating the chakra enough to do so and the fourth day seeing the results.

It was much better than Naruto had hoped for since Mai had finally gained enough control to launch over twenty senbon from her hand. The Uzumaki was pleased with her progress and congratulated her, making her blush at his praise.

The Nara had slowly started opening her heart more to her friend and teacher, and she realized that she had slowly begun falling for him. It scared her at first since she was afraid of losing what she already had with him, but it also gave her butterflies in her stomach thinking of them as a couple. He was kind and caring, helpful and wise, and always looked to her for who she is and not what she was. However, she reluctantly put aside her feelings in favor of helping Naruto defend the Northern Tribe.

Naruto's empathic senses felt apprehension and desire from his student and he grew slightly worried. While he may have been dense as a child, he knew what her desire was. The Uzumaki wasn't sure about her feelings for him, especially since the visions he kept on having were become clearer each time. The woman in them slowly started taking the form of an older looking Mai, making Naruto fear for the vision's chances of coming true. He didn't want to lose his potential family, and he didn't want them to lose him, but the inevitable coming of Juubi made him realize that he would either live during their death or he would die for them.

He shook himself out of his thoughts and focused on getting to the North Pole as fast as possible. Something big was going to happen, and he knew it would be world-scale big.

With Zhao and Iroh

"We're in the process of finally writing history, General Iroh. The North Pole may have survived many years before, but their city will finally fall today."

Iroh, who had finally agreed to join Zhao's war effort after finding 'no trace' of Zuko, gave the Admiral a skeptical look. "I doubt that, Zhao. There's a reason why they have survived for so long. The Moon and Ocean Spirits give constant vigilance and protection to the Northern Tribes, after all."

"Yes yes, I know you fear the Spirits Iroh. I've even heard rumors of your supposed trip to the Spirit World. However, the Moon and Ocean made a terrible mistake many years ago."

"And that is…?"

"They chose to live a life with those of the mortal plane; leaving them vulnerable to capture…or death," Zhao explained with a sinister grin.

"Zhao, the Spirits are _not_ to be trifled with! They don't just affect certain nations or people; they affect the whole world!"

"Yes well… The world will surely be affected when I take my place in history…as Zhao the Moon Slayer!"

With Aang

The Siege of the North had begun and Aang took to the front lines in hopes of taking out as many Fire Navy ships as possible. He and Appa flew down to meet the armada in battle and Aang used his wits, speed, and quick thinking to sabotage many ships before they even got close to the wall defending the city.

However, many ships were still able to break through the icy wall and storm the city with their large numbers. The Avatar saw that his initial plan had failed, and he retreated back to the city. When Appa landed, both the bison and the AirBender collapsed in exhaustion, making Katara and Yue grow worried. Sokka had volunteered to join the other warriors on an infiltration mission, so he wasn't with them.

"I can't do it… I can't do it," Aang said solemnly.

"What do you mean?" asked Yue.

"I must have taken out at least _a dozen_ of those ships, but there's just too many of them. I can't beat them all."

"But…you have to. You're the Avatar!"

"I'm just one kid…" Aang said solemnly.

They were all interrupted by the sounds of flapping wings and they turned to see the shinobi duo land a large snowy owl next to Appa. Once they got off, Naruto said, "Thanks for the ride, Koyuki-san."

**"Any time, Uzumaki-san,"** she replied before she disappeared in a plume of smoke.

"Naruto! Mai!" Katara called out happily before she ran up to him and hugged the two shinobi, much to Mai's slight annoyance.

"You finally made it!" Aang said just as happily. "We thought you wouldn't make it in time."

"Yea well, we're here now and ready to help," said the Uzumaki with a smirk before he turned serious. "Aang, you need to go to the Moon and Ocean Spirits now. They're in danger; much more than any of us."

"What do you mean?" asked Yue. "How are they in more danger than we are?"

"The Spirits are vulnerable," Mai explained. "They gave up their spiritual forms in favor of forms that would let them live alongside humans and mortal beings."

"How do you know?" asked Katara.

"We learned it in a library. Now hurry up and find them! Mai and I will help hold off the soldiers. Go!" Naruto ordered before he and Mai leaped away to join the battle.

Aang turned to the two girls and said, "We better hurry. Yue, do you know where the Spirits might be?"

The princess took a thoughtful pose for a few seconds before her eyes widened in realization. "The Spirit Oasis! There are two koi fish there that have lived in the tribe for many years. They must be the Moon and Ocean!"

"Alright, let's hurry and get to them before anyone else does," Katara said as the three made their way to the Spirit Oasis, unaware that Zhao and a group of four soldiers were on their way as well.

With the Shinobi

The duo kept roof-jumping their way to the battle at high speeds in hopes of turning the tide. Naruto gave a feral smirk before he pumped chakra into his next leap, making him rise way above the warring nations. He flew through handseals before he bit his thumb and cried, "_Kuchiyose no Jutsu_!"

A large plume of smoke appeared above the battlefield before Shun dropped down and crashed into the ground below, throwing back the two sides with the force of the landing. The Fire Nation looked on in fear since they were told of Naruto's ability to summon a toad of incredible size. The Water Tribesmen looked on in amazement at the sight of the toad while some pointed at the golden-haired man standing on its head.

Naruto turned to the Fire Nation troops and called out, "People of the Fire Nation, this is your one and only warning! Return to your ships now, or risk your lives in battle against Naruto Uzumaki, the Child of Prophecy and Hero of the Flame!"

Paku, who was leading the Northern Tribe members, looked on in shock at the declaration. While there wasn't as much info on the 'Hero of the Flame' in the Water Tribes as there was in other parts of the world, the natives were still able to learn enough to know that he was like a force of nature in his time. _'But this man can't be him. He disappeared from the world millennia ago…'_

The Fire Navy grew nervous at Naruto's declaration. Their nervousness increased when Mai appeared next to him. It was now common knowledge within the Fire nation that Mai was his student and that the girl was worth a small army of FireBenders. While their numbers were that of an armada, they still had the Uzumaki to deal with.

"You have two minutes to comply before my student and I begin our assault. Make your choice now!"

Less than half of the soldiers immediately ran back to the ships in fear while the rest stood their ground. One brave, or foolish, group of FireBenders all launched a stream of fire at Shun, but the Gama Chief felt nothing from the flames against his wet face. The soldiers began to sweat in panic while Naruto released the cork on his gourd and said in a deathly calm voice, "Time's up."

Sand flew out of the gourd and raced towards the soldiers while Naruto stood as still as a statue. The only parts of his body that moved were his fingers that were slightly hidden under his crossed arms. The sand latched on to many of the soldiers legs and lifted them high into the air while Mai silenced them with her senbon. "Sensei, do you want me to proceed?"

"Do as you wish…"

Mai smirked at that before she pumped her chakra, releasing the weight seals that were on her, and vanished in a burst of speed. To both sides, she was nothing but a dark red blur that struck without warning and without mercy. Each soldier she hit had a senbon in their neck or a kunai in their lower back, immobilizing them. And if it wasn't Mai that reached them, it was the sand controlled by the last Uzumaki.

Paku and the other soldiers of the Water Tribe watched on in amazement as the enemy was easily picked apart by the two shinobi. The WaterBending Master shook out of his shock before he turned to the others and cried out, "For the Water Tribes!"

His cry rallied the others and they rushed in to help their new allies.

Spirit Oasis

Aang sat in a meditative position in front of the koi fish and attempted to create a spiritual connection with them. Katara, Yue, and Sokka who had been tasked with guarding Yue stood behind him while Zuko was frozen against the wall courtesy of Katara. The prince attempted to take him again while he meditated, but Katara and the full moon of the evening battle proved to be too much for his ambition.

Suddenly, the three Water Tribe Natives saw the gates to the oasis get blasted open by Zhao and his FireBenders. Katara once again tried to fight them off, but their numbers were too much for even her. Sokka was about to help her, but one of the soldiers held a flaming fist to Yue's head, making him back off.

Zhao smirked at the sight of the out of it AirBender and his prize. He strode up to the pond and captured the white koi fish, otherwise known as the Moon Spirit's mortal form, into a tattered bag. Due to the cut connection, Aang woke up from his meditation and looked on in shock as the moon lost its silvery glow in favor of a reddish one.

Back at the battlefield, Naruto and Mai saw the moon glow red and the Uzumaki clutched his head in agony. Mai grew worried and rushed to his side, supporting him as he fell to a knee. "Naruto, are you okay?"

"N-No… Take me to Aang and the others. The moon is in trouble," he answered as he held his head in pain. He was hearing wails of fear and agony within his mind as well as a slow leakage of youki from the once peaceful moon. "H-Hurry!"

Mai nodded and the two disappeared in a swirl of leaves while Shun disappeared in a plume of smoke. When the duo reappeared, they saw Zhao finishing his rant on how he'd be remembered as the Slayer of the Moon.

"Zhao, don't do it! You have no idea of the consequences that will come if we lose the moon!" Aang pleaded to the Admiral.

"He is right, Zhao," said Iroh as he walked into the oasis. His eyes noticed Zuko escape his prison as well as Mai supporting Naruto before they narrowed in on Zhao.

"General Iroh… Why am I not surprised to discover your treachery?"

"I'm no traitor Zhao. The Fire Nation needs the moon just as much as the world does. It creates a balance." He noticed Zhao clutch the bag tighter and he growled out, "Whatever you do to that Spirit, I'll unleash on you _tenfold_! Let it go, NOW!"

"Get in line, Iroh," Naruto said as he slowly stood on his own. Mai stood close to him just in case while he finished, "If he does _anything_ to that fish, I won't hesitate to kill him in the most _painful_ way imaginable."

Zhao growled in anger before he slowly let the fish out of the bag and back into the water. His rage was boiling though, and he sliced at the koi with FireBending as soon as the fish was fully out.

To the others, it was like time slowed down as the moon disappeared from the sky and the land was colored in a gray hue. Naruto stiffened in place before he clutched his head, closed his eyes, and cried out in horror, making everyone turn to him in shock. Chakra and youki were leaking from him as he fell to a knee and his head was pounding with cries of fear, despair, panic, rage, and utter hopelessness. His empathic senses were screaming in his mind, nearly driving the Uzumaki mad by the sheer feeling of fear and darkness.

Mai grabbed his head and made him face her. "Naruto, calm down! Please, you have to control it! Don't give in, Naruto!" she cried in panic as tears began to spill from her eyes.

However, Naruto couldn't hear her since her voice was drowned out by the cries of terror he was hearing in his mind. His skin began to slowly peel off, showing a bloody surge of energy flowing beneath his skin. His whisker marks began to darken and grow jagged while his hair grew wilder and his canines and nails elongated into fangs and claws. His eyes snapped open, revealing nothing but blood red within, and scared Mai stiff.

**"M-Mai…"** he groaned out. **"R-Run! I can't c-control it!"** He then noticed Zhao try to run, and his animalistic instincts took over before he disappeared in a blur of speed and reappeared with a clawed hand stabbed straight through Zhao's chest, with his heart in hand on the other side. Zhao stood in shock as he saw his still beating, bloody heart clutched in a clawed hand in front of him. **"I warned you,"** Naruto growled out. **"I told you that it would be the most painful way imaginable."** He then opened his mouth, where a glowing sphere of youki and chakra was forming, before he released a beam of power that immediately disintegrated the top half of the Admiral's body.

The lower half fell lifeless to the floor while Naruto jerked his head back and roared, sending a shockwave out with its force. He then launched himself out of the oasis and into the city and Mai immediately stood up from her position. "Naruto, wait!" she called out as she followed him.

It was like the end had come for the warring nations as Naruto killed anyone in his way, friend or foe. Mai was able to keep up with him since he was slowly walking through the streets on all fours like a fox. His skin was still slowly peeling off and bursting with energy, but Mai didn't care as she ran up to him and hugged him from behind. He turned his head in anger and glared at her before her teary amber eyes met his bloodlust filled crimson ones.

"Please Naruto," she begged," please stop this. This isn't who you are! You're Naruto Uzumaki; the Child of Prophecy, the Hero of the Flame, my teacher, my friend, the one I cherish the most!" Her words were slowly breaking through as his anger-filled orbs were slowly turning into confused and concerned ones. Through her tears, she smiled at this and continued, "You aren't a monster, Naruto. You need to stop this, please." She then clutched him tighter while his energy slowly burned her skin. She refused to let go as she finished, "Please come back to me…"

The blonde Jinchuriki groaned in pain as his head was pounding with the negativity from the leaking youki once held back by the moon. He was slowly losing himself again before the land was once again covered in a silvery glow. The Uzumaki turned his head skyward and saw the moon residing within the sky once again, making the negativity slowly calm down. He slowly regained control of himself and began releasing the youki he had called upon before he turned and embraced his student. "Mai… I'm so sorry," he whispered. "I never meant for this to happen…"

Mai slowly let him go and placed a warm hand on his whiskered cheek. She saw pain and sadness in his eyes and gave him a small reassuring smile before she leaned in and kissed him. His eyes widened in shock as Mai pulled back and calmly replied, "I forgive you, Naruto…"

She then hugged him again with a smile while Naruto unconsciously held her with his face still looking shocked. Slowly the shock turned into a small smile of his own before he held Mai tighter, making her smile grow.

Within the mindscape, Kurama sighed in relief. **"That was a close one. I actually thought that he'd lose himself completely after that idiot killed that fish. Thank Kami-sama that Mai calmed him down, but I hope that she can keep him that way… Now that the Juubi has gotten a small taste of freedom, it'll try even harder to break free or form again."**

Timeskip: The Next Day

While Naruto and Aang, who had entered the Avatar State and attacked the Fire Nation, rested in the infirmary, the others stood on a balcony watching the sun rise in the sky. Yue had given up her life that the Moon Spirit gave her and returned it to the dead fish. Sokka and Arnook were devastated at this, but Arnook still couldn't help but feel proud of his daughter's sacrifice. She restored the balance and became the new Moon Spirit who would watch over the world. So yes, he was sad, but he was also happy to know that she was still with him.

Katara had spent her time healing the injured while also checking up on Aang and Naruto every now and then. She noticed that Mai hadn't once left Naruto's side and held his hand in her own as he rested. She had even slept in the chair she sat in, while her head rested on his bed and her hand still clutched his, the night before. Katara smiled to herself at the extreme care Mai had for him and knew that the Fire Nation girl had fallen hard for the whiskered blonde. _'It makes me wonder what will happen next between them,'_ she mused to herself.

It was two hours later before Naruto slowly stirred awake. Aang had woken up an hour before and left the infirmary to help his friends while Mai still stayed in the room. He saw that she had her head on his bed and was sleeping with a near death grip on his hand, making him smile. With his free hand, he slowly brushed the back of his fingers against her cheek, making her stir slightly before she noticed he was awake. She immediately embraced him and said, "I was so worried… You just passed out after you came out of your rage."

Naruto hugged her back and replied, "Yea that happens when I'm not in control… Mai, I'm so sorry you had to see me in that kind of state. It's not something I like people seeing…"

She gave him a reassuring smile and said, "It's okay, I told you the night before that I already forgive you."

Naruto smiled back before he noticed her slightly burnt skin. "Mai, why didn't you have someone heal you?" he asked worriedly before he began using medical jutsu to restore her skin.

Mai turned her head away in embarrassment and answered, "I never left your side. You really had me worried for you…"

"You should've at least gotten someone to take a look at you. The burns could've increased in degree and you could've-"

He was interrupted when Mai leaned up and kissed him on the lips, making his eyes widen in surprise. When she separated, she looked him dead in the eye with a growing blush and stated, "I wasn't going to leave you, Naruto. I care too much about you to leave you alone while you were passed out."

Naruto sighed in defeat before he looked her in the eye and replied, "What brought that on; that kiss?"

She didn't answer right away and just buried her head in his chest. "I like you, Naruto… I-I never felt anything like this before… I like the feeling of actually giving my heart to someone, and it makes me happier to know that I could give it to you."

"But Mai, what about the vis-"

"I don't care!" she interrupted. "I don't care if those visions you keep having say that either you or who you keep seeing will die! As long as I can be with you now, I'll be able to die happy…" She looked him in the eyes, her own burning in determination, and she said, "I want you to take my heart and let me have yours. I want to be by your side, not just as your student, but as someone precious to you. That's all I want…"

Her gaze slowly averted from his and Naruto sat on his bed in silent shock. She just threw the concerns he had out the window and wanted to risk her life just so that she could be with him. It amazed him that she felt so strongly about the whole thing, but he couldn't deny that it felt nice to have someone tell him that he mattered to them in a romantic way.

He slowly grabbed her chin and made her look at his warm smile before he leaned in and captured her lips with his. Her eyes widened in surprise before she got into the kiss and wrapped her arms around his neck in hopes of deepening it. They kept at it for a little over two minutes before the need for air was too much and they separated. Her eyes met his hopefully and he smiled to her again.

"If it means that much to you, then I accept your feelings, Mai. Having you with me has made me happier than I ever was after the loss of Uzu. I honestly thought that I'd never really find true happiness again, but each day I spend with you makes those thoughts slowly fade from my mind. Nothing would make me happier than having you with me."

Mai smiled to him as a tear leaked from her eye before the two embraced once again, hearts and souls full of a growing hope and happiness.

However, darkness was still slowly spreading with the temporary loss of the Moon Spirit and the Gaang still had many trials ahead of them.

(End)

And that was chapter ten! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the future chapters to come! If you have any questions or concerns, PM me!

I hope you all like the Naru/Mai moment I had in this chapter! Happy Easter!

Now please: Review! Review! Review!

**Current ages:**

**Naruto:** (physical) 26; (actual) 5116

**Mai:** 17

**Aang:** (physical) 12; (actual) 112

**Ozai:** 45

**Ursa: **42

**Iroh:** 64

**Zuko:** 18

**Azula:** 17

**Ty Lee:** 17

**Lo and Li:** 81

**Katara: **16

**Sokka:** 17

**Suki:** 17

**Bumi:** 112

Next Time: The Gaang leaves the North Pole in search of an EarthBending Teacher for Aang! And a certain swamp makes them see some very interesting people! Who will they see? Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	11. Chapter 11: Murky Visions

Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the next chapter of "Mai's Teacher"!

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto or Avatar the Last AirBender

Personal Request: If someone is artistic enough, I'd like to ask if they'd be willing to make a cover page for this story. Either that or draw the Naruto and Mai of this story for me. Please PM me if you want to do this for me. If no one is willing, then I don't really mind. It was just a hopeful request.

"Speech"

_'__Thoughts'_

**"Higher Being Speech"**

**_'__Higher Being Thoughts'_**

"_Jutsu_"

(Technique Translations)

Scene Shift

Chapter 11: Murky Visions

It was three days after the Northern Siege that we find the Gaang heading to an Earth Kingdom base by air. The Trio was situated on Appa while the shinobi were riding on Koyuki. Katara couldn't help but look back at the student/teacher duo with a smile. It was obvious to her that they were incredibly more open with one another after Naruto's episode at the North Pole.

Thinking about the blonde's moment after Zhao killed the first moon made her shudder. The pure anguish and struggle on the Uzumaki's face was that of a man seeing their worst nightmare and making futile attempts to end it. When she asked Mai, the Nara told her that Naruto had deep connections with people's emotions and feelings. When the moon vanished, the Juubi tried to break free from its drastically weakened prison by using the nearest power source. That source was Naruto and Kurama due to them having the closest connection to Juubi.

While the Juubi tried to break free using Naruto, the blonde was able to feel all of the terror, pain, and despair from the victims killed by the beast in the past. It was like being an observer witnessing a bloody massacre and being unable to do a thing about it.

Still, while Naruto went through all of that, he looked as if nothing was wrong. However, the rest of the Gaang knew that he was holding back what had happened to him. Why he was, they didn't know. That didn't stop Mai from trying to help him.

The WaterBender was broken out of her thoughts by the approaching base. An uneasy feeling came over her as they approached and when she saw Koyuki completely ignore the island and fly past it, the feeling only increased.

Four Days Later

Naruto was seen resting on the branch of a nearby tree while Mai practiced the first step of the _Rasengan_ in the clearing below. Like Katara, Naruto felt a disturbing feeling coming from the Earth Kingdom base and he had Koyuki fly past it and land about half a mile away from it. The shinobi decided to just wait for the Trio to find them after dealing with whatever the base dealt them.

It was a bit irritating to Naruto when he found out that he had no balloons or rubber balls to help his student in the three steps of his father's prized ninjutsu. So, he had to start her off with the bare minimum: pure chakra and nothing else.

The first step was Rotation. Naruto had Mai begin by having Mai build her chakra into her palm, like she does with the _Chidori_, and have it spin. It was much easier said than done for her since it took a great deal of focus just to gather chakra to her palm without the assistance of handseals.

Naruto had helped her get a decent start on the first day by slowly demonstrating the step to her. The chakra slowly gathered to his palm and covered it in a bluish glow before Mai saw it slowly start to spin and naturally roll up into a rough sphere. He kept on demonstrating for her until she felt as if she got it and began here training.

That had been four days ago and now she looked as if she was beginning to make progress. On her palm, her chakra was barely beginning to move and rotate, but that was as far as she was able to get. She released her chakra and sighed in frustration before she felt two strong arms wrap around her warmly and hold her close. Her frustration left and she smiled at the feeling.

"Just relax, Mai," Naruto said calmly into her ear. "You'll get it down. You just have to keep calm and focus." He lifted up her right arm, palm facing up, and used medical chakra to soothe her aching nerves. "Try again," he told her softly.

Still smiling, Mai focused her chakra into her palm and willed it to spin. It came easier to her this time and the energy span into a rough sphere that warbled around the edges. Her smile grew slightly before she cut the chakra flow, turned in Naruto's arms, and mashed her lips with his. She quickly deepened it by wrapping her arms around his neck and he reciprocated by wrapping his own around her waist.

Just when Mai was hoping to go even further with their kiss, the duo heard someone clear their throat and separated. They turned to see the Trio standing behind them. Katara had a smile on her face while Aang looked away with a blush and Sokka just rolled his eyes. "Are we interrupting?" asked the WaterBender with her smile still in place.

Mai muttered something about 'troublesome people with terrible timing' while Naruto just gave a small chuckle and let go of the Nara. "We were just waiting for you three. What took so long anyway?"

"That general wanted to force Aang into the Avatar State in order to end the war quicker," Sokka explained.

"At first Aang agreed," continued Katara while giving Aang a pointed look. The AirBender looked away in shame as she finished, "But he soon saw reason and we left."

Naruto nodded in understanding while Mai stayed silent. "So, what's the plan now?"

"We're going to head back to Omashu and see if Bumi will teach Aang EarthBending. Bumi should have plenty of experience to teach him."

Naruto and Mai nodded before the blonde summoned Koyuki and the Gaang made their way to the city. For some reason, Mai had a sense of foreboding about the city and was confused as to why.

Two Days Later

It was a shock to the Trio when they saw Omashu taken over by the Fire Nation. Mai and Naruto were less shocked since they had expected the Fire Nation to begin their invasion of the Earth Kingdom.

The Gaang made their way to a sewer pipe opening that released the waste of the city into the chasm beneath the city. Aang and Katara used Bending to keep themselves clean of the waste, leaving Sokka to get hit full blast behind them. Naruto had used _Kamui_ to 'remove' Mai from their plane before he moved right through the wall and into the city.

While it separated them from the Trio, the tactic still allowed Naruto and Mai to get in the city unseen. Once inside, Naruto released Mai and the duo made their way across the rooftops in search of Bumi.

It wasn't even ten minutes later that they found a man, woman, and baby boy being escorted through the streets by some soldiers. Naruto cursed quietly, making Mai turn to him in confusion. "What is it?"

"Your family is down there. If I had to guess, your father is most likely in charge here."

Mai turned to the family and swore when she saw that it really was her parents and baby brother. "What do we do?"

Naruto hummed in thought before he suggested, "I think you'll be relatively safe if you talk to them. They're your family, so they shouldn't be willing to arrest you. Me on the other hand…" he let the sentence hang and Mai understood.

"So, you want us to split up?"

"Yes. You stay with your family and see what's been going on since we left and I'll see if I can find the others. We'll meet up when we can."

Mai nodded and kissed him on the cheek while whispering, "Good luck."

"You too, and stay safe," he urged before he disappeared in a flock of ravens that began to search the city.

Mai sighed and muttered, "Time for a reunion, I guess…"

With Naruto

The ravens flew all over the skies above the city in search of its ruler before one of them spotted Aang freeing Flopsy and riding him through the city streets. Another raven saw Katara, Sokka, and many citizens of the city making their way through the gates under the guise of having a 'deadly' and 'highly contagious' illness called Pentapox. It was actually quite funny seeing the guards freak out and keep a good distance out of fear of infection.

One last raven, this one being the real Naruto, flew close to Mai and kept an eye on her. He saw that he was correct in his assumption and that she was welcomed by her parents warmly. They asked her about what she had been up to and where he was, and Mai was able to keep them at bay with vague answers and questions of her own.

The shinobi duo found out from Mai's parents that Ozai had increased his forces and military strength and that Iroh and Zuko were made fugitives of the Fire Nation.

The reunion was interrupted when they heard the commotion caused by the 'sickly' citizens of the city and Mai's father ordered the guards to let them go to keep the city 'clean'. Mai had to commend the Water Tribe siblings on their successful plan. 'Pentapox' sounded like a highly contagious illness and she could understand why her father fell for it.

The following day, Mai and the raven form of Naruto walked through the streets 'seeing the sights' when in reality they were still searching for Bumi. Naruto's other ravens were still searching and one of them finally found him held in a metal container that left only his face visible. The container was held by a large crane high above the ground, keeping the King away from any earth to bend.

By the time the raven dispelled and Naruto received the information, the guards announced the arrival of Princess Azula, making them curse her timing.

It turns out that Azula wasn't alone and that she brought Ty Lee with her. Mai, playing her part of a 'returned daughter' made her way to greet them while Naruto made his way to Bumi.

When he made it to the King, he transformed back into his regular form and readied a kunai to cut the chain. "I can't let you do that, my friend," Bumi stated.

Naruto raised a brow and questioned, "Why not? You're a prisoner of the Fire Nation and Aang needs you to-"

"I can't be the one to teach Aang. I need to stay here."

Naruto still looked confused before he felt Bumi's emotions for his city and his people. "You're staying for their sakes. You don't care what the Fire Nation does to you, but you care about what happens to your people." Bumi nodded with a smile and Naruto asked, "What about Aang? Who should he look for to tech him EarthBending?"

"Aang needs to find someone who waits and listens to the earth itself before acting; someone who has mastered what is known as 'Neutral Jin'. I can't be his teacher since I haven't mastered it myself."

Naruto nodded at his statement. "You know that he'll still try to save you, right?"

"I know, and I'll tell him what I told you when he does."

Naruto nodded again and said, "I wish you good luck then, King Bumi."

"And you as well, Founder of the Shiro Renge," he replied with a smile before Naruto disappeared in a distorted swirl.

Two Days Later

Naruto sighed as Koyuki flew after Appa over a dense forest with a tree larger than all of Konoha in the center. He heard voices speaking to him in his mind telling him to land and find them. He looked to Mai and she didn't seem to be hearing anything similar since she looked as relaxed as ever.

He looked ahead and saw Appa slowly descending towards the treetops. His brows furrowed in confusion before he saw Appa resume his previous altitude and head away from the forest. His senses suddenly went into overdrive and he saw a tornado heading for them all.

Thinking fast, Naruto jumped off of Koyuki and flew through handseals before crying out, "_Fuuton: Jōshō Fushichō_ (Rising Phoenix)!" The wind picked up around him and took the form of a large bird with glowing yellow eyes. The wind bird wrapped its wings protectively around himself, Mai, and Koyuki just as the tornado reached them. Aang tried something similar for his friends by surrounding them in a sphere of air. Unfortunately, the tornado's force was too much for both of their techniques and the result was the two wind techniques backfiring and flinging everyone in separate directions to the forest below.

The last thing Naruto saw before he hit the treetops was the tornado suddenly dispersing, leaving a calm sky.

With Katara

The WaterBender found herself trapped in some vines after her rough landing. Luckily for her, her wrists and hands were free, allowing her to bend the water and have it slice through the vines like a new katana through a piece of paper.

After she was free, Katara made her way through the dense forestation of what she now realized was a swamp. The treetops were so thick that barely any light came through. With no way to see the sky above her, she resigned to just keep moving.

With Aang

The AirBender was able to soften his landing with the use of his birth element, saving him from any major injury. He still had a few scratches from when he crashed through the tree branches, but he was alright.

He gazed around his landing area and sighed at the lack of major light. He was about to move on before he heard a girlish giggle behind him. He turned to see a girl dressed in noble attire with a winged boar next to her. The boar flew off and she followed it, giggling the entire way. The Avatar narrowed his eyes in confusion before he took off after them in hopes of finding answers.

With Sokka

The Water Tribe Warrior wasted no time taking out his machete and slicing through the vines of the swamp in search of his friends and comrades. "Guys, where are you?!" he called out in hopes of hearing a reply. When he received none, he sighed before he resumed his trek.

After cutting through a particularly thick patch of vines, he entered a small sunlit clearing of the forest…where a girl dressed in beautiful white robes floated before him. He took a couple of hesitant steps forward before his eyes widened in recognition.

"Yue?" he whispered before he shook his head in denial. "This is just a trick of the light. Swamp gas. I hit my head during my fall. I'm going crazy," he said, listing off reasons as to why he was seeing the form of the dead Northern Tribe Princess. He didn't want it to be real; he couldn't let himself believe so. She gave up her life for the world right after kissing him goodbye. She was supposed to be gone.

His rant to prove he was seeing things didn't stop him from looking back to the girl. "You didn't protect me…" her voice echoed throughout the clearing.

Sokka quickly wiped his eyes and saw that she was gone. He sighed and turned before jumping back in shock when he saw Yue standing right next to him. After falling back to the ground, he looked around the clearing and saw that he was alone. He sighed again before pulling out his machete and continuing.

With Katara

The WaterBender made her way through another brush of vegetation before she saw someone standing ahead of her with their back to her.

"Hello? Can you tell me where I am?" she called out as she made her way to the new person. She then caught sight of the person's hairstyle and saw that it was exactly like hers; the same style her mother taught her to make. "Mom?" she whispered hopefully before she ran to the figure. Her face had a smile and happy tears as she reached the person and grabbed their shoulder. As she turned the figure to face her, she said, "I can't believe-" only to stop short as the person she thought she saw proved to be nothing more than an old hollowed out tree trunk.

Katara fell to her knees in anguish at the feeling of losing her mother for the second time. It was too much for her to bear.

With Mai

The student of the last Uzumaki jumped through the trees in search of her teacher or their companions. The forests of the swamp were so thick and the air was far too humid for her tastes. She soon saw that she was approaching a black-haired figure and she landed a few feet away from them.

"Excuse me, have you seen a bald kid, two people from the Water Tribes, or a yellow-haired man around here?" she asked.

The person before her didn't respond and turned to face her. She saw that the person was a man that was dressed in a black shirt over a mesh one, black pants, a forest green flak jacket, and black sandals. His hair was styled in a pineapple-like fashion, his eyes were coal black, and he had a metal plate with a spiral leaf symbol attached to his left sleeve.

She stared at him in confusion before he sighed and took out a white stick followed by a small metal container. He flipped the lid of the container and she saw a flame appear where it opened. He then used the flame to light the white stick before he put the end that wasn't burning in his mouth and took a deep inhale. He then pulled out the stick and blew out some smoke before he looked to her lazily.

"So, who are you supposed to be?" he asked in a bored tone as he kept using the burning stick.

Mai wrinkled her nose in disgust at the smell in the air before she retorted, "Why should I answer you when you never answered my question?"

The man sighed at her rebuttal and rubbed the back of his neck before Mai heard him mutter, "Troublesome girl…"

Her eyes widened in recognition and she quickly asked, "Are you a member of the Nara Clan?"

He raised a brow to her and replied, "What brought on that question?"

"My name is Mai Nara, student of Naruto Uzumaki," she answered seriously. "Now I'll ask again; are you a member of the Nara Clan?"

"Naruto huh?" he asked with a small smile while looking skyward. "So, he's still alive after all. Can't say that I'm surprised at that since he always looked younger than the rest of us." He then turned his attention back to her and said, "I'm Shikamaru Nara, the 16th Head of the Nara Clan and Strategic Commander of Konohagakure before its end at the hands of Sasuke Uchiha."

Mai sighed in slight irritation and replied, "I just asked for your name; not for all of your troublesome titles and positions." She saw him smirk at her and she asked, "Why are you here? You were supposed to have died long before the Bending Era."

"Why indeed?" he asked with his smirk still in place. "Care to figure it out yourself?"

She narrowed her eyes at him and thought of the possible reasons until two came to mind. "You're either a spiritual projection meant to help me, or I'm seeing things due to the heat and I somehow envisioned you. The first seems far more likely."

Shikamaru nodded at her findings. "I'd say that you're correct on your first guess as well. So, the question that remains is, what do you need me to help you with?"

"I guess I'm lost on my 'path of life' or something equally as troublesome to try and figure out."

The Elder Nara chuckled at her statement. "Yea, you're definitely a Nara." He kept chuckling at her, making the younger Nara's eye twitch in irritation. After he stopped, he looked back to her and asked, "So, what is it you think that you're having problems with?"

"I don't think I have any issues to deal with. I'm happy learning from Naruto and being with him."

"Uh-huh," he said in an unconvinced tone. "And the fact that either he or you will die is not an issue at all, right?"

"Of course not!" she replied heatedly.

"Then why are you so emotional in your response?"

"Because it's none of your business!"

"Hey, I came here to help you, remember? I can't do that unless you let me know what I need to."

"Yea right… You came to me, so you should already know enough about me to come up with some advice."

"Heh, true; I already know what I need to. That's why I know that the visions Naruto keeps having are bothering you. You can't bear to lose the one person who easily saw past the barriers you put up."

"Stop it…" she whispered.

He continued as if ignoring her, "You don't want to lose the man who took the time to get to know the real you and help you more than anyone else ever did; even your family."

"Shut up!" she said in a louder voice.

"The thought of you or him dying before you could live a happy life as a family tears you apart inside. You'd rather see the world fall than lose him."

"SHUT UP!" she cried before she quickly prepared a _Chidori_ and stretched it towards her ancestor, unknowingly performing a perfect _Chidori Eisō_ (Chidori Sharp Spear).

The extended lighting jutsu flew right through Shikamaru, who looked disinterested with what was going on around him. There was no puncture wound, no blood, and no exertion of pain.

"Admit it… You're scared of the future and what is to come."

Mai fell to her hands and knees and had tears spill from her eyes. "Just shut up…" she begged in a defeated tone. "I admit it; I don't want to lose him. He means everything to me and losing would… It would…"

"…Leave you as nothing more than an empty shell," finished the Elder Nara. He sighed at the situation as he made his way to his descendant and placed a consoling hand on her shoulder. "Listen, we all lose someone important to us eventually. I lost my mentor and guide when I was around your age. It was tough and I almost lost myself. But, I realized that these things happen and that the important thing to do is make sure that when they do happen, it won't be in vain. The vision also showed a girl, right?" She nodded in affirmation. "Then make sure that the girl in your future knows just what Naruto died for. Let her know that he died for a brighter future for both the world and his family."

Mai slowly wiped the tears from her eyes and gained a small smile at her ancestor's words. "Thank you," she whispered before he faded away, leaving Mai alone in the clearing.

With Naruto

The Uzumaki sighed in frustration as he made his way through the dense swamp. The vibe he felt from the surrounding vegetation was unsettling and he constantly felt as if he was being watched as if he were prey.

'_Damn swamp… This place is so strange and annoying.'_

"**There's something off about this place as well. Keep your wits about you, Naruto. Something isn't right here…"**

'_Yea… I know Kurama,'_ he replied before he made his way into a random clearing of the swamp. The Jinchuriki narrowed his eyes as he saw three cloaked figures standing ahead of him with their backs turned. He disappeared in a burst of speed and made to grab one of them before he felt himself slip right through them.

"**Those people aren't real. They're just illusions,"** stated the Kyuubi.

'_Then why isn't the Sharingan dispelling them?'_

"**I don't know…"**

Before Naruto could question his tenant any further, he noticed the three figures move towards him and stand just five feet from him. He stood to face them and narrowed his eyes in suspicion. "Alright, just who the hell are you three?"

One of them sighed and spoke in a voice so familiar to Naruto that it made him freeze. "Honestly Naruto-kun, can't you even tell who your family is?"

The cloaks surrounding the figures all faded away into specks of light revealing a blonde man, redheaded woman, and a girl with black hair that had red streaks in it.

The man wore standard Konoha Jonin gear and a white cloak with red flames licking the bottom of it. His blonde hair was spiked in all directions with two bangs framing his face and his eyes were an electric blue.

The woman wore a high collared blue blouse underneath a loose tan dress. Her vibrant red hair reached her lower back and she wore a necklace with a red spiral pendant.

The girl had a blood red shirt with a sleeve only on her left arm, black cargo shorts, an Uzu headband around her neck, and a fuinjutsu array wrapped around her exposed right arm. She had a deep blue left eye while her right was a piercing yellow and she had two whisker marks on each cheek. Her hair was slightly shorter than the woman's, only reaching the tops of her shoulders, but it had a slight spikiness to it (1).

Naruto couldn't speak since the people before him were Minato Namikaze, Kushina Uzumaki, and the young girl from his visions/dreams. He just stood before them, frozen like a statue, as they kept smiling to him. When his mind finally caught up to the real world, he closed his eyes and turned his back to them.

"You aren't here; none of you are. Two of you are dead and the other isn't even alive to begin with." His voice began to break slightly as his eyes began to water. "This isn't real."

He felt a warm hand on his shoulder, making him tense before he turned to see his mother's warm smile. "Not all things are as they appear to be, Naruto-kun."

"We're here to help you find your way again," explained Minato with a warm smile on his face as well.

"What do you mean? I'm fighting for peace again. I'm helping the Avatar and the world," said the whiskered blonde in confusion.

"While that may be true, there's still something holding you back, tou-san," said the youngest looking one of the group.

Naruto turned to her in slight surprise before he gave a small chuckle. "So, the visions were true… You really are my future child."

She smiled to him and nodded. "Yea… And it's also the thoughts you have of me that hold you back; well, me and kaa-chan."

"Mai…"

"Yes… You're afraid of losing us or of us losing you. It keeps you from truly choosing to fight for peace."

"Of course it does! I don't want to lose anyone else!" he cried before he dropped his gaze to the ground. "I've lost enough people already…"

Kushina hugged her child and held him close before Minato and the girl did the same. "We know, Sochi. We know how much you've lost. You left your friends Konoha to let them live their lives, you rebuilt Uzushiogakure and made it a great nation again, and you lost it all in one fell swoop. You've lost more than any person should ever have to."

"But you know better than anyone that peace is not without a price," continued Minato. "You've lost many things for peace, but it wasn't enough."

"I know it wasn't enough!" Naruto cried separating himself from them and punching a nearby tree trunk in anger. The whole tree shook as many leaves fell from the branches. "I know better than anyone that it wasn't enough, and I know that I'll keep losing what's precious to me so long as I continue being the Child of Prophecy." He turned his gaze back to them and the three saw his eyes full of defeat. "I'm so tired of losing the ones I cherish. I just want it to end."

The next thing he knew, a black and red blur flew at him and wrapped around his chest. He looked down and saw his future daughter crying into his chest and he instinctively held her close. "We know how much you've suffered, tou-san. But no one else can take down the threats to come."

"Juubi…" whispered the whiskered blonde.

"Yes… Aang will never have the strength or skill needed to do it. That leaves you to fight it or let the world fall." She looked up into her father's eyes with a sad smile. "It seems so unfair to ask you to do this, tou-san, and I wish it didn't have to be you… But who else can do it if not you?"

Naruto looked to his parents and saw them nod to him with sad smiles of their own before he sighed. He brushed his hand through the girl's hair and smiled softly. "I guess I have one last job to do. I mean," he gave a small foxy grin, "what kind of father am I if I don't fight for my family?"

The other three had their smiles change from sad to proud and they nodded to him before they began to fade away. Minato and Kushina were the first to go, leaving the fading girl and her future father.

"So, any chance I get to learn my daughter's name before I have to wait for her to be born?" he asked with a grin.

She giggled at his question and shook her head. "Good things to those who wait tou-san!" she said in a teasing voice before she completely faded away.

Naruto kept his smile as he watched the specks of light drift away. "I guess I need to be patient then…"

After talking to Huu

The Gaang was happily making their way out of the swamp with new thoughts and feelings lingering in their hearts.

Aang, having learned what his vision meant from Huu, had a determined fire in his eyes. He knew who to look for to be his EarthBending teacher and he was excited. Katara and Sokka felt the need to see the war through to the end for the sakes of the loved ones they had lost. Mai felt as if a weight was lifted from her shoulders after her talk with her ancestor. As for Naruto…

He felt at peace when he had his vision once again. The figures were the clearest they had ever been and he smiled at the sight of his future family waving to him with loving smile. _'I won't give up…for their sakes.'_

(End)

1~ Think of her hair styled in the same fashion as Ichigo's after his training in the Dangai Precipice World (I don't own Bleach by the way)

And that was chapter eleven! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the future chapters to come! If you have any questions or concerns, PM me!

I hope you all liked the moments Mai and Naruto had with their family members (both past and future)!

Now please: Review! Review! Review!

**Current ages:**

**Naruto:** (physical) 26; (actual) 5116

**Mai:** 17

**Aang:** (physical) 12; (actual) 112

**Ozai:** 45

**Ursa: **42

**Iroh:** 64

**Zuko:** 18

**Azula:** 17

**Ty Lee:** 17

**Lo and Li:** 81

**Katara: **16

**Sokka:** 17

**Suki:** 17

**Bumi:** 112

Next Time: The Gaang meets Toph, the Blind Bandit! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	12. Chapter 12: Toph and Return to Library

Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the next chapter of "Mai's Teacher"!

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto or Avatar the Last AirBender

No one has offered to draw… That's a shame…

Poll Notice: I have placed a poll up concerning my next story! Please vote on my profile page!

"Speech"

_'__Thoughts'_

**"Higher Being Speech"**

**_'__Higher Being Thoughts'_**

"_Jutsu_"

(Technique Translations)

Scene Shift

Chapter 12: EarthBending and Lost Knowledge

"Why are we here again?" came the annoyed voice of Mai as she and Naruto watched Sokka decide whether or not to buy a new bag.

"I'm wondering why myself, actually," was his reply as he leaned on the wall next to her. "You would think that they'd be more focused on finding an EarthBending Teacher for Aang…"

The Nara sighed as she leaned her head on his shoulder. "Looks like we're the only mature members of our little group…"

"Yep…" he agreed as they watched Sokka finally decide on buying the bag.

The Gaang were staying in the town of Gaoling in search of much needed supplies for their journey. The town was also rumored to have one of the best EarthBending Academies in the Earth Kingdom. Hopefully Aang would find a suitable teacher to help him in the city.

While the Trio checked out the local academy, Naruto and Mai spent their time checking out the sights that the city itself had to offer. There weren't many things to do for entertainment, but they did overhear some teens talking about an underground fight club that hosted EarthBending Bouts for the pleasure of fans. Curious, the two made their way to what was known as Earth Rumble Six.

As they took their seats, Naruto spotted Katara and Sokka with Aang who was dressed in EarthBender Academy clothing, complete with a slightly armored hat.

The fights were quite boring in the opinions of Naruto and Mai. It was nothing more than men showing off their muscles and proving who was stronger. A man who called himself The Boulder had made his way from the lowest rank all the way to the title match against a person named The Blind Bandit.

It was surprising to many when the title holder was shown to be a young preteen girl who had milky green eyes, proving that her moniker was already half-right. Naruto however smirked at the sight and thought to himself, _'Looks like we have a winner. I wonder if Aang will notice right away.'_

The Blind Bandit was able to get a reluctant Boulder to fight her when she put his 'manliness' to question. "Whenever you're ready, 'The _Pebble_'!" she taunted making him scowl in anger.

The man took a simple step and Naruto noticed the girl tense and shift into a stance known as the Reverse Mantis. As the Boulder made to take another step, the Blind Bandit simply kicked the earth beneath her and sent a line of upturned rock towards her opponent. The earth stopped just as the Boulder set his foot down and caused him to fall into a split, making many men in the stands unconsciously hold their 'little soldiers' in sympathy.

Naruto laughed at the sight while Mai smirked as the Blind Bandit used Bending to strike the Boulder's unprotected back and launch him out of the ring. When Xin Fu, the announcer and host of Earth Rumble Six asked for anyone in the stands to face the champion, Naruto didn't waste any time and disappeared in a burst of wind, making Mai sigh in amused irritation.

Naruto reappeared out of the ground, like an EarthBender would, and nodded to Xin Fu. The man nodded back and stepped out of the ring.

"Well, I must admit that I was impressed with your performance, Lady Champion," Naruto said while giving a bow to her. "I hope that you will grace me with a good fight?"

The champ smirked and replied, "We'll see if you can keep up, Mister Suck-Up." She then assumed her stance while Naruto pulled out a scroll and unsealed Gaara's gourd, making her look confused at the sudden extra weight on the ground. "What the heck is that thing?"

"Oh this? It's nothing too important. Just fight like you always do," he replied with a grin as the gourd's cork flew off and sand began to rise from the opening. The loose earth pooled around the blonde and slowly covered his entire half of the arena floor.

The Blind Bandit decided to start the bout by releasing a wave of earth towards the Uzumaki. As soon as it got close enough, the sand seemingly acted on its own and sent its own wave to meet hers. Rock met sand and the two waves of earth were left at a standstill. The champ looked shocked that the loose earth was able to hold off the solid earth, but Naruto slapped his palm on the sandy arena and muttered, "_Ryūsa Bakuryū_ (Quicksand Waterfall Flow)," sending a large wave of sand towards his opponent.

The EarthBending preteen was floored by the power flowing from the man before her when he slapped his hand to the ground. Due to her blindness, she had developed a 'Seismic Sense' that allowed her to 'see' with a type of echolocation within the ground. This also allowed her to determine just how much strength someone put into their strides or actions. When she felt Naruto's strength, she was floored and distracted long enough for the sand to push her out of the ring.

The spectators in the audience, save for Mai, looked on in amazement and were left in a stunned silence. Naruto stepped down from the ring and approached the downed former champ and held a hand out to her. "That was a good fight. You're very skilled," he complimented to her.

She turned her blind gaze to his general direction and contemplated taking his offered hand. After a few seconds, she slowly took it and was helped to her feet. "Thanks; although, that was a pretty cheap trick with that sand of yours... I thought we were going to stick with the earth provided in the ring."

"I made no such promise to you. You merely assumed that I would fight that way. You have to keep an open mind in your battles, Lady Bandit, or else you will never move on to greater heights."

She nodded as Mai and the others approached. "Are they your friends?"

"Yes, and I believe that one of them could really benefit from your skills. He needs a teacher and you're the best person that has a chance to do so."

"Why not you? You're good at EarthBending, so why can't he learn from you?"

Naruto shook his head at that. "I wasn't using Bending. In fact, I _can't_ use Bending at all."

That shocked the blind girl. "But then how did you fight with the sand like that?"

"If you agree to try and help my friend, then I'll tell you."

The girl turned her senses to the rest of the Gaang and focused on the boys. "Which one is he?"

Naruto chuckled as he replied, "The one with 'softer' steps."

Toph snorted in laughter at that and focused on Aang's seismic signature. The man before her was right; he _did_ have soft steps. "Fine, I'll see what I can do with Twinkle Toes; but not now. I have things to do that will take me the rest of the day and night. Come back here tomorrow."

As she left, Naruto turned to the AirBender and grinned. "There you go. I found you the perfect teacher…Twinkle Toes," he said with a laugh. The boy's face went red in embarrassment while the others laughed at his expense.

Later That Evening

Naruto watched on with a blank face as he sat on a tree outside of the Beifong Estate. It turns out that the Blind Bandit's real name was Toph Beifong and she was the only child of the family. She was doted on and constantly taken care of due to her 'handicap' and Naruto could easily feel that she felt smothered by it all. Her emotional status also released feelings of irritation, loneliness, and some sadness.

_'So this is why she wasn't going to start teaching Aang today. She has to keep up appearances with her parents and make them believe that she is perfectly fine. Of course, they would freak out if they found out that she was the Blind Bandit and a contender of Earth Rumble Six.'_

He sighed tiredly and ran a hand through his hair stood up and stepped out of his perch. He approached the wall to the estate and walked right through it, appearing in the family's garden. He barely took another step before he sidestepped a spike of earth that sprouted from the ground near him.

"Calm down, Toph. It's just me; the guy you fought earlier," he called out to her.

Toph stepped out from her spot behind one of the garden trees and faced the blonde. She remained in her EarthBending stance and questioned, "How did you find me, and how do you know my name?"

"I merely followed you and watched you interact with your parents. I have to say, finding out that the girl who fought with fierce determination is actually a rich noble is not all that surprising."

"What do you mean by that?"

"What I mean is that I'm not all that surprised that you are living a double life. You keep up the act of a blind daughter who needs protection, but you also secretly fight for fun and entertainment. You're just a rebellious preteen who wants to prove that she can be independent."

Toph glared at him and retorted, "And what the hell do you know about me?"

"I know that you want to show that you are just fine doing things on your own to your parents. You want them to see that you don't need them to worry about you all the time. But I also know that you're scared of what their response and reaction will be when they find out, so you live two lives as a result."

"Shut up! You don't know me!"

"You're right; I don't know you… However, I know your type and I know that nothing will get better if you don't confront what it is that holds you back."

Her response was to fire a chunk of earth at him that passed through his body like he wasn't there. She kept firing and he just stood there and let the earth bypass him. It took nearly three minutes of nonstop earth shots before she started to pant in exhaustion. Naruto released his _Kamui_, slowly approached her and knelt beside her as she regained her breath.

Placing a comforting hand on her shoulder, he stated, "You can't hide who you truly are forever, Toph. Sooner or later, your parents will find out… But I guarantee that it will be much better off for you if you tell them. If they find out a different way, their reactions may be what truly keep you from becoming who you were meant to be; a great EarthBender that has the skill to overcome many others before her."

Toph couldn't help but smile at his praise. "Thanks… So, did you come just to tell me that?"

"No, I was actually just planning to observe some more but you found me with that sixth sense of yours."

"Yea… Even though I was born blind, I've never really had a problem 'seeing'. I 'see' with EarthBending; it's kinda like I'm seeing with my feet. I can see you…that tree…even those ants by your feet."

Naruto looked straight down and saw that there were indeed ants by his feet, though he needed his dojutsu to see them due to it being dark. "That's a really useful skill, and a great way for you to fight against your so-called handicap."

"Thanks… My parents don't understand though… To them, I'm just their 'helpless little girl'."

"Why don't you tell them how you really feel? I'm sure that they'll support you."

"Even if I did tell them and _if_ they had no problems with it, things wouldn't change all that much… I mean, I'll still be here in this city with no chance to go out and experience the world for myself."

"Well, you could always come with us."

Her eyes widened in surprise. "Y-You'd really let me?"

The blonde smiled and replied, "I see no reason why we couldn't. Besides, if you're gonna be Aang's EarthBending teacher, then you'd need to be able to come with us so that he can learn on the go. We don't have the luxury of staying in one place for too long." He then leaped on the wall surrounding her home. "Think about it," he said before he faded away.

Afternoon (Three Days Later)

Naruto and Mai were resting in a nearby tree in a rocky valley while Aang was being drilled by Toph about EarthBending. It was actually quite a surprise to Toph that her parents were alright with her being an EarthBender; especially her overprotective father. Unknown to her, a clone of Naruto had spoken to them both concerning their daughter and used his Sharingan to show them just how skilled she was. Through the genjutsu showing what the dojutsu had seen from the past, Naruto showed them her fight in Earth Rumble Six and how easily she took down The Boulder.

While Toph's mother was incredibly pleased with her daughter and how well she could defend herself, her father wasn't as easily swayed. He made the blonde swear that, during her travels with him and the Avatar, that Toph would stay out of harm. The Uzumaki didn't even hesitate when he nodded in agreement.

So, the Gaang with Toph added in spent a couple of days getting to know one another better before Toph began Aang's training. Of course, Naruto and Mai weren't as forthcoming with describing themselves, and neither was Toph, but the Trio didn't seem to mind all that much.

Naruto chuckled as he saw Aang straining to move a rock. To the blonde, it looked like the bald monk was constipated and trying to release his "backed up load". He decided to take Mai to another part of the valley to resume her _Rasengan_ training. She was halfway done with the second step: power. She just needed more practice before he had her move on to the final step: stability.

"Alright Mai, I want you to practice on the many boulders that this generous valley has to offer. You won't know you have the second step down until you can completely obliterate one in a single shot."

The Nara nodded before she began to have her chakra rotate in her hand and form a roughly shaped orb of energy. She then raced toward a random boulder and thrust the jutsu into it. The result was the rock breaking into two smaller pieces. She sighed at her failed attempt before she began to repeat the process while Naruto watched on with an analytic gaze.

This went on for nearly a full week with almost no progress until the final day. Mai had finally accomplished the second step the morning of the sixth day while Aang discovered the secret to EarthBending later that afternoon. Both of their teachers were pleased with their success, but both the Avatar and the Nara knew it would only get harder from then on.

Two Days Later

Aang sat in a cross legged position in an open plain with a small wooded flute in his hand. The others stood behind him while Toph felt dozens of small creature moving around in the tunnels beneath them.

"What's out here?" asked Sokka.

"A lot, actually," Toph stated. "There's dozens of-"

"Shh! I know you can sense them but don't ruin the surprise!" Aang said with excitement. "Just watch." He then played a few notes on the flute, causing some moles to pop their heads out of the holes they were in and cry out in the same tone as the one played by the AirBender. "I'm putting an orchestra together!"

"Orchestra, huh?" asked Sokka sarcastically. "Well, la-di-da…" The moles did his notes in a descending scale.

"What are we even doing here?" asked Naruto with his arms crossed. "Shouldn't we be focused on the task at hand?"

"Well, the 'task' right now is going on our mini-vacations," said Toph with a small grin.

"Yea, what's wrong with having a little fun during our downtime?" asked the WaterBender.

"Downtime? You really think we have _time_ to relax?" questioned the Uzumaki with narrowed eyes. "We have a cataclysmic force reforming, a psychotic man seeking global domination, and the world's 'only hope' is wasting his time acting like a carefree child! If you aren't able to see the bigger threat here," he said before he turned and began walking away with Mai in tow, "then maybe I was wrong about you. Maybe the world can't rely on you after all."

_"Aang will never have the strength or skill needed to do it…"_

_'It looks like she was right about him…'_ Naruto thought to himself as he recalled his daughter's words. _'It looks like I'll have to take matters into my own hands.'_

"Hey, I never agreed to these 'mini-vacations'! I think we should stay focused on finding a way to get some better information on Ozai," Sokka stated.

Mai turned to her teacher/loved one and asked, "What about Yuki? Did she return to the Fire Nation?"

"No, she's actually making her way to the Earth Kingdom Capital. We need to see how they're reacting to this war," answered the blonde as he summoned Koyuki. He climbed on followed by the Nara before he turned to the others. "Think about what's truly important and realize that you need to grow up, Aang. The time to act like a child is over." The snowy owl then took to the sky and carried the two shinobi westward…to the Si Wong Desert and Wan-Shi-Tong's Library.

Library (Two Hours Later)

Naruto was reading through an old tome that had knowledge on various mixed elements and how to better use them in combat while Mai looked through one of Naruto's scrolls on Konoha's history. Wan wasn't necessarily upset with their return, but he didn't seem too enthused either.

"So, the Senju and Uchiha Clans just put aside their differences to make Konoha?" asked Mai skeptically.

"Hardly… They fought for years before Hashirama Senju and Madara Uchiha discussed a way to end the endless fighting. Madara told Hashirama to either kill Tobirama or himself to show he was willing to stop it all, and the man was about to comply and take his own life. However, before the Senju Leader fully went through with it, Madara stopped him and said that he saw all he needed to. Thus, the fighting stopped and Konoha was born, though many problems came after that."

"Wow… So, is that why you and Sasuke always fought; because you were descendants of those clans?"

"I suppose… Though to be honest, even if I wasn't a Senju descendant, I'd still oppose Sasuke. What he did, all the lives he took, the chaos he brought, and the people he betrayed…it was beyond forgiving."

Mai was silent for a while before she asked, "…If you had another chance, would you try to change him during your time as Genin?"

Naruto stopped short of turning another page and his eyes gained a far off look before he resumed his actions. "I would try… Though, remembering all that he did would make the decision very difficult to go through with. I'm not sure if I'd be able to contain my anger at him long enough to help him."

The girl nodded while Wan stepped into the room they were in. **"I figured that you should know that the Avatar and three others are here in the Library."**

Naruto raised a brow at that. "You actually allowed them to stay? What convinced you?"

**"The Avatar has made me a promise that he will not abuse the knowledge of this Library. I already know he will, but I figured that this would be the one and **_**only**_** time he would receive my assistance. We Spirits help guide the Avatar, after all."**

The two shinobi nodded in understanding before they left the room to find Aang. It took them a little while, but they finally found the Trio and some scholarly man fiddling with a large planetarium with a date dial in the center of the room.

"The sun is behind the moon; it's a Solar Eclipse!" Sokka exclaimed. "It's literally the 'darkest day' in Fire Nation history! Now I get it! Something awful happened to the Fire Nation that day. I don't know what, but I do know why; FireBenders lose their Bending during a Solar Eclipse!"

"That makes sense!" Katara agreed. "I mean, think of what the Lunar Eclipse at the North Pole did to the WaterBenders. This is huge…"

"We've got to get this information to the Earth King in Ba-Sing Sei. We'll alert him of our findings and then find out when the next eclipse will happen. The Fire Lord is going down!"

They all heard slow clapping and saw Naruto and Mai at the entrance to the room. "Nice work, you three… Now, you have some consequences to deal with."

"Consequences?" asked Aang before a large shadow appeared behind him.

**"Mortals are so predictable, and such terrible liars,"** commented Wan as he stood before the group of six.

The four newcomers to the Library looked on in fear while Naruto stepped forward. "Wan, I know they broke their promise to you, but let me be the one who punishes them."

**"I'm afraid I can't let you do that, Uzumaki. They have desecrated this sacred place with their thoughts of war and I will not stand for it,"** stated the owl before his neck elongated to that reminiscent of a serpent's and his head gained two spiked protrusions at the top. **"I won't let you off so easily with that information, Avatar!"**

The enraged Knowledge Spirit gave chase to the four while Naruto and Mai were left in the room. "Mai, I want you to begin checking future dates for when the next eclipse will happen."

She smirked and asked, "Use any advantage you can… Shinobi Rule #13, right?"

He smirked back. "I've taught you well, my apprentice."

Ten Minutes Later (Si Wong Desert)

Mai watched in annoyance as Aang got angry with Toph for letting Appa get captured. Seriously, the AirBender was starting to get on her last nerve and, based on her teacher's slight twitch of the eye, he was getting on Naruto's as well.

In anger, Aang suddenly took off on his glider into the desert in search of Appa's kidnappers, leaving the other five alone. Naruto sighed in frustration before he surrounded them all in an air dome. "C'mon… Mai and I know our way out of here and we need to let the kid be able to find us without any problems. Follow us, and stay in this dome if you don't want to burn up," he ordered before he and his student began to lead them through the desert.

It was going to be a _long_ walk.

(End)

And that was chapter twelve! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the future chapters to come! If you have any questions or concerns, PM me! I didn't update last week because I needed a break from this story. Sorry if it upset any of you.

Please remember to vote on my poll!

Now please: Review! Review! Review!

**Current ages:**

**Naruto:** (physical) 26; (actual) 5116

**Mai:** 17

**Aang:** (physical) 12; (actual) 112

**Ozai:** 45

**Ursa: **42

**Iroh:** 64

**Zuko:** 18

**Azula:** 17

**Ty Lee:** 17

**Lo and Li:** 81

**Katara: **16

**Sokka:** 17

**Suki:** 17

**Toph: **12

**Bumi:** 112

Next Time: The Serpent's Pass and Ba-Sing Sei! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	13. Chapter 13: Path to Impenetrable City

Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the next chapter of "Mai's Teacher"!

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto or Avatar the Last AirBender! Stupid lawsuit...

Poll Notice: The poll concerning new stories is over! Final Fantasy XIII won by a small margin of a _single_ vote! So, I will be doing a Naruto and FF XIII Xover as soon as I can! However, I have a new poll concerning this story (Mai's Teacher)! Please check out my profile for it and vote!

"Speech"

_'__Thoughts'_

**"Higher Being Speech"**

**_'__Higher Being Thoughts'_**

"_Jutsu_"

(Technique Translations)

Scene Shift

Chapter 13: Path to Impenetrable City

Making their way through the hot desert on foot was not the best plan Naruto had ever come up with. However, seeing that Sokka, Katara, and Toph needed to wait for Aang to find them, it was the best he could do. After all, the bald monk shouldn't be able to miss a dome of air moving across the sands.

"Spirits, it is hot!" complained Sokka even under protection from the air dome. "Hey, does anyone have any water?"

Naruto and Mai stayed silent as they walked while Katara gave Sokka and Toph some water from her pouch. "Here, this is all we have."

Sokka smacked his lips after swallowing and asked, "We're drinking your Bending water?" He smacked his lips some more before his eyes widened. "You used this on the swamp guys!"

While he desperately tried to remove the taste of swamp on his tongue, Toph commented, "It _does_ taste a bit swampy…"

"I'm sorry, but it's all we have… So, we'll have to make due," Katara replied.

"Wait, there's another water source!" Sokka exclaimed as he pointed at a cactus. He sliced a piece off with his machete and drank some of the juices inside. "Ah… Man, that is very thirst quenching," he said with a smile before he began to act strange…well, _stranger_.

"And that is why we don't just randomly drink or eat anything nearby," Naruto said to his apprentice who nodded and watched Sokka move his body across the ground like a worm.

Suddenly, a loud boom was heard in the distance followed by a rising cloud that took the form of…

"A giant mushroom! Maybe it's friendly!" Sokka exclaimed drunkenly while making strange movements to 'appease' the cloud.

Naruto sighed before he had a clone carry the drunken warrior over his shoulder while the rest of the group continued on. It wasn't until near nightfall that Aang finally found them. When he landed, Naruto felt anger, sadness, and self loathing coming off of the AirBender and the Uzumaki knew that he would have a serious change to his current childish personality.

_'While it is a shame that he lost his friend, maybe this will make him finally take things seriously and have him focus on the task at hand,'_ thought the blonde as he watched Katara try and comfort the boy.

Naruto then summoned two large owls for the group to travel on and had the birds take them to the borders of the desert. They had a job to do and that job depended on them getting to Ba-Sing Sei.

Full Moon Bay (Two Days Later)

Naruto's eye was twitching a mile a minute at the woman looking for passports for tickets for the ferry that would lead people safely to Ba-Sing Sei. The Gaang had met a small family of three, with one of them being a pregnant woman, and they told the group about the ferry rides after Sokka decided that they should take a thin passage called "The Serpent's Pass".

The idea of riding a ferry relieved the younger members of the group, but Naruto and Mai could've easily just flown into the city. They would have if it weren't for Katara begging them to stay with them since Aang's mood was still negative and she felt safer with the two shinobi around. At first, he wanted to decline immediately, but he looked to the family who told them of the ferry and couldn't help but see how desperate they were. He reluctantly agreed to go with them, but only for the family's sake since they asked to travel with Aang and the others.

He was really starting to regret that decision after seeing the old bat get in peoples' faces about having their passports, ferry regulations, and fake Avatars trying to get free rides. It wasn't until Toph showed her status as a Beifong Family member and the woman easily gave them four tickets, leaving him and Mai to get their own somehow.

Before he could even come up with a way to get them, the pregnant woman, Ying, ran up to Aang and begged him to help her after she, her husband, and sister-in-law had their possessions stolen. Aang tried to talk to the woman handling the tickets, but she was being unreasonable, so he decided to lead them through the Serpent's Pass; their last resort.

Naruto would have offered owls, but then his limited medical training over the years kicked in and he decided not to. While it would get them to the city faster and safer, the baby in Ying's womb wouldn't be safe on the slightly bumpy flight; especially since the air current that day was enough to make flight irritating for the owls. So, he and Mai decided to assist the Gaang in escorting the family; Suki, who was working as security at the bay, also decided to go with them.

"Look at this sign… How awful," Ying commented.

The others took a look and saw it read: Abandon All Hope.

_'Cheery…'_ Naruto thought sarcastically before his senses picked up a large life source moving beneath the water. He narrowed his eyes at the bay before he decided to leave it alone for now.

"Hope isn't going to get us across here," Naruto heard Aang comment when he turned his attention back to the others. "We need to focus on the here and now and not worry about hoping for a better outcome. It's like the monks told me: hope is an illusion for the weak of heart."

Naruto narrowed his eyes at Aang's words and clenched his fist in anger. Hope was what gave him the strength to fight every single day, and hearing this boy talk bad about it really got under his skin.

The group of ten made their way through the narrow pass and was making decent time…until some rocks gave way under the male refugee, Tahn. Toph was able to save him in time before he fell to the water below, but the rocks hitting the water alerted patrolling Fire Navy ships in the bay and they launched a fireball at them. Naruto wasted no time and used _Gian_ to destroy the flaming sphere. The smoke from the resulting explosion allowed the group to move behind cover and stay out of view of the ships.

It wasn't much longer before they reached a part of the pass that was completely submerged in water, leaving at least thirty yards between the land they stood on and the land they were trying to reach. The two shinobi wasted no time stepping on top of the water and taking a few steps towards their destination. Naruto also had three clones formed to carry the refugees across, leaving the other five to figure a way across on their own.

"Are you sure it's alright to leave them back there?" asked Ying while she was being carried bridal style. Due to her pregnancy, being carried any other way would be harmful to the baby in her womb.

"They're resourceful," Naruto assured her. "Not the best with plan making, but resourceful."

The woman hesitantly nodded and turned her attention back to the Gaang as they made their way across by going underwater. Katara and Aang used WaterBending to manipulate the water surrounding them and create enough space to breathe and walk freely.

Unfortunately for them, a giant green serpent attacked them and forced Toph to raise the earth on the waterbed up and form a small island.

"I think I just figured out why they call it the Serpent's Pass!" exclaimed Sokka as the serpent roared at them.

The others, who were now safely on the other side, turned their attention to the trapped group and the two shinobi sighed in annoyance at the terrible luck they seemed to have.

_'Honestly, even baa-chan didn't have this kind of shitty luck…'_ Naruto mentally groaned before he turned to Mai. "Keep an eye on these three while I go help them out…again."

She nodded while he disappeared in a blur of speed and reappeared just as the serpent's jaws were about to clamp down on the Gaang. Using a single hand, he gripped the serpent's snout and held back the beast's charge. It tried to push through the Uzumaki, but he held strong and looked into the beast's eyes with his Sharingan.

"Be still," he ordered in a calm voice while the serpent's golden eyes changed into the Sharingan, showing that it was under Naruto's control. The beast then calmed down and looked to the blonde for further instruction, surprising the others save for Mai. "Alright then, I want you to deal with any Fire Navy ships you see patrolling these waters. Make it safe for other refugees to travel through on the ferries."

The serpent growled in acknowledgement before it sank back into the water. Naruto then moved himself so that he stood on the water between the land the refugees and Mai stood on and the island that Toph had made. He slowly went through handseals and placed his right palm on the water he stood on.

"_Hyōton: __Kōribashi_ (Ice Release: Ice Bridge)," he said calmly while the water froze into a walkway wide enough for five people to walk across side-by-side. It took some persuading to get Toph to move across, but the Gaang and Suki still made it safely.

It wasn't much longer before Sokka called out, "There's the wall! Now it's nothing but smooth sailing to-"

He was interrupted by Ying crying out in pain while water pooled by her feet. "The baby's coming!"

"What?! Now?! Can't you just hold it in, or something?!" Sokka asked frantically.

"Sokka, calm down. I've helped Gran-Gran deliver plenty of baby's before," Katara tried reassuring her brother.

"This isn't the same as delivering an arctic seal! This is a real…human…thing!"

Katara rolled her eyes. "It's called a 'baby', and I've helped her deliver plenty of those too."

"Was it in a prepared environment?" asked Naruto, surprising the WaterBender.

"Well…yes, it was."

"Then you won't be much help." He then turned to Toph and said, "Make an earth tent big enough to fit at least eight people. We need plenty of room for this. Sokka, get me some water, Aang use any spare clothing for rags, and you two," he pointed to Suki and Mai, "make sure that Tahn and his sister stay outside of the tent. Katara, you'll be helping me with this since you have experience."

The group quickly got to work and Ying was immediately put into the most comfortable position that she was limited to at the moment. Naruto used healing chakra to help open up the pathway for the baby to be pulled out of. Sokka and Aang were able to bring the water and rags fast enough so that they wouldn't be in the way while the blonde and Katara focused on helping Ying.

"Okay Ying, this is going to hurt you quite a bit, but I need you to push!" ordered Naruto before Ying complied and she cried out in pain at having her womb opened up for the baby to move out of. "It's crowning! Just a bit more!" urged the Uzumaki before Ying gave one final push and he was able to successfully take the baby out. Ying panted in exhaustion while Katara used WaterBending to clean up the blood on the baby and on the new mother. "Congratulations," said the shinobi softly, "it's a beautiful baby girl."

He handed the woman her child and stepped out, nodding at the others and letting them know it was okay to see her. As they went to see the new baby, Naruto made his way to a nearby boulder and sat down tiredly.

**"Nice work, Naruto. This is your second successful delivery."**

_'Yea… Good thing I've only done two deliveries myself and haven't had any mistakes. Shion's kid was a lot harder to deliver than this one, though…'_

**"That's only because it was your first time. This time, you were ready and prepared enough to do it successfully and efficiently."**

Naruto smiled at that and looked to the happy family with their newest member; Hope, if he heard right. It was a very fitting name for the new life form. She represented the refugee family's unwavering faith and hope for the future.

_'For the people to have moments like these… That is why I continue to fight. I fight for a hopeful future.'_

Mai walked up to her teacher/love interest and sat down next to him with a smile. "It's amazing…seeing childbirth, isn't it?"

"Have you ever seen it?"

"When my baby brother was born, I was with my mom and watched after my father fainted. It was…disgusting at first, but then I saw just how beautiful it really was."

"…Seeing life begin is always beautiful, just as seeing it end is always devastating. It's a cycle that cannot be changed; nor should it be."

She nodded before she informed him, "Aang's gonna fly ahead and try to find Appa in the city before he meets up with the rest of the group. The others are gonna make their way to the wall and enter the city legally."

"Hmm… That might be a problem…"

"Why's that?"

"…Because I sense a lot of energy signatures making their way to the wall… And two of them belong to Ty Lee and Azula."

Mai tensed before she palmed her face and groaned in annoyance. "Great… Just what we needed…"

"That's not all… I sense panic from the wall; as if the force Azula is leading towards the city has a real chance of getting through the walls." Mai raised a brow while Naruto shrugged and said, "There's only one real way to see what's going on. We'll let the others escort the refugees while we move on ahead and see what's going on."

Mai nodded while Naruto summoned Koyuki and the owl carried them towards the walls.

Outer Wall of Ba-Sing Sei

"Well, I wasn't expecting the Fire Nation to be able to pull this off," commented Mai as she and Naruto watched a huge drill tank make its way to the walls of the city.

"Yea, and the General in charge here is too stubborn to see that his 'Terra Team' has no chance at stopping this thing. It's a good thing that Aang and the others decided to take matters into their own hands and take it down from the inside."

"So, what do we do then, sensei?"

"Simple," he started before he jerked his head to the drill, "we distract Azula and buy them some time to take it down. Plus, we can do some addition external damage to the thing." He then wrapped his arm around her waist and jumped off the wall towards the ground below. Mai clung to him as they picked up speed while Naruto smirked at the feeling of the freefall. He then stopped their descent with his _Kazepo_ just as they were twenty feet from the ground. He lowered Mai to the ground before he launched himself into the air. "Mai, do what you can from the ground while I strike from above!" he ordered as he shot up skyward and stood in the air above the drill.

She nodded to herself before she rushed to the drill and flew through handseals. Lightning covered her hands and she cupped them together before thrusting them forward and releasing the pent up lightning. "_Raiton: __Kaminari no Taihō_ (Thunder Cannon)!" she cried as the lightning raced toward the drill and hit the side of it, causing the lightning to conduct through the metal plates making up the machine.

From above, Naruto went through his own handseals and held his hand to his lips before he released a wave of molten earth at his target. "_Yōton: __Yōkai no Jutsu_ (Lava Release: Melting Apparition)!" The lava fell on top of the drill and began to corrode and melt the metal shell, weakening it. He followed up with, "_Ranton: Reizā Sākasu_ (Storm Release: Laser Circus)!"

From his fingertips, many beams of light flew towards the drill and struck it from various positions, making it shake and disturb the people inside. At the same time, Naruto saw Aang exit the tank from a hatch on the top and make his way closer to the front of it. The Avatar then began to use the water from Katara's water pouch to slice into the metal and make an opening.

Naruto landed next to him and gently moved him aside. "Let me," he said simply before he shoved a _Rasengan_ where Aang was making his hole. When the opening was ready, Aang nodded to Naruto in thanks and prepared to deliver the final blow to the tank.

Unfortunately, Azula had made her way to them and fire a blue fireball at the monk, making him dodge to avoid getting scorched. "Sorry Avatar, but you're not going to stop the Fire Nation from entering Ba-Sing Sei."

"Aang, do what you need to. Let me handle Azula."

"Are you sure?"

"Yes, now hurry up!" he yelled, making the AirBender quickly look for a boulder to shape into a pike to stab into the metal frame. Naruto looked back to Azula, who was glaring at him hatefully. _'She is so much like Sasuke that I could honestly mistake her for being the female version of the teme…'_

"So, you betray the Fire Nation once again, Naruto."

"Like I told your father: the Fire _Nation_ isn't my home; Hi no Kuni and Uzu no Kuni are!" he retorted before he released a volley of shuriken at her, which she batted aside with a wave of fire.

"The Fire Nation was birthed in Hi no Kuni… That makes it your home! And you betray it every day you go against my father!" she yelled as she launched wave after wave of flames at her prey.

Naruto held up a _Hiraishin_ kunai and had it absorb the flames before he moved them to the part of the drill behind the princess. The flames licked away at the metal and blocked off any means of escape for her. "You're father is nothing more than an idealistic fool who will fall long before his 'ambition' can be fulfilled. Whether it is by my hand or by another's is for the future to tell."

Azula narrowed her eyes at the threat to her father and prepared to blast the Uzumaki with lightning. Naruto merely watched her prepare with a stoic look and held up his right hand, palm facing the princess. When she launched the lightning, it met the blonde's hand in an instant before it was absorbed into his hand. Her eyes widened in surprise while Naruto pointed his finger at her, the tip sparking with raging electricity.

"My turn," he said before he released the lightning and it pierced the girl through her right shoulder, making her scream in pain and her arm go limp. As she clutched her shoulder, Naruto made his way to her and grabbed her chin before making her look at him. "It's over, Azula. You lost this time," he said before she saw his red eye change form. She then saw and felt a distortion in the air surrounding her before she was absorbed into Naruto's _Kamui_.

When she was fully 'removed' from the 'normal' plane, he rolled his head to get the kinks out of his neck before he saw Aang pile drive the earth-made pike into the drill and cause the slurry plugged up in the pipes to burst free and damage the drill completely from the inside out. Aang was covered in the gunk but still had a smile on his face at the successful halt of the drill. "We did it!" he cheered while Naruto shook his head in amusement.

_'Well, I can't blame the kid for being excited over his victory. Plus, I'm in a good mood myself since I was able to get Azula out of the game. Now, I just need to deal with her carefully since she is so obsessed with making her father pleased with her. If I can sway her to go against him, then that makes our eventual victory against Ozai all the more guaranteed… I just need to be patient.'_

(End)

And that was chapter thirteen! Definitely my shortest one, but I hope you guys still enjoyed this chapter and the future chapters to come! If you have any questions or concerns, PM me!

Please remember to vote on my poll!

Now please: Review! Review! Review!

Next Time: The first impression of Ba-Sing Sei and meeting Long Feng! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	14. Chapter 14: City of False Security

Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the next chapter of "Mai's Teacher"!

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto or Avatar the Last AirBender

Poll Notice: The poll is now officially over! The child of Naruto and Mai shall be named Kikyo Nara Uzumaki! Thank you all for your votes!

AN: Please check out my (slightly) newest work! It's called "Sacrifice", a Naruto and FF13 Xover! Please read and review it!

AN2: Before any of you get pissed and/or try to kill me for the ridiculously late update, hear me out first! I had work, school finals, and a shitload of family events that it wasn't even funny! Honestly, why do I have to go along for the stupid events when I've got my own shit to do; like typing these updates?!

"Speech"

_'__Thoughts'_

**"Higher Being Speech"**

**_'__Higher Being Thoughts'_**

"_Jutsu_"

(Technique Translations)

Scene Shift

Chapter 14: City of False Security

"I can't believe we're finally going into the city," Katara said happily as the group of six rode a train into the city.

"Hey, don't jinx it! For all we know, the city could be under attack by some giant monster of evil spirit or something!"

"You been hitting the cactus juice again?" Toph asked with a deadpan stare.

Sokka shrugged and replied, "I'm just saying, weird stuff happens to us." As if the universe wanted to prove his point, a large man sucking on a full corn cob squeezed in between them to sit down, making the two very uncomfortable.

Naruto rolled his eyes at this and tried to get a small rest as they rode the train. He hadn't gotten much sleep lately since the thoughts of Juubi's return and his daughter were swimming in his mind. Mai noticed his slightly fatigued look and held his hand to show that she was there for him, making him give her a grateful smile.

"Don't get too excited," Aang said in a surprisingly wise tone. "The monks always told me that cities and small towns are incredibly different." He looked out the window and gazed at one of the many walls with a blank look. "Ba-Sing Sei may not be what we're hoping…"

After they got off the train and gazed at the incredibly large city, a strange woman by the name of Joo Dee told them that they would be their guide through the city, but Naruto passed on the tour and made his way on foot followed by Mai. The others meanwhile rode in a carriage with the woman throughout the streets, but the four never noticed the two men hidden in the shadows watching them.

While the teens went off with Joo Dee, Naruto and Mai walked through the busy market streets of the Outer Wall; or what they quickly realized was the slums. While it was packed and incredibly busy, Naruto saw the closeness of the people and smiled. Refugees always looked out for one another, no matter what country they were originally from. It reminded him of the unity that his citizens once had.

He was brought out of his thoughts when he caught sight of a familiar head of gray hair. He quickened his pace slightly, with Mai trying to keep up, before he was walking directly behind a short man with long gray hair and a tall teen with short black hair.

'Nice to see you two again, Iroh, Zuko," Naruto called out to them.

The two stopped and turned around to see Naruto and Mai standing before them. Mai looked surprised to see them while Naruto had a small smile. Iroh smiled back and greeted the blonde with a firm handshake. "Naruto, Mai, how wonderful to see you again after so long."

"What are you doing here?" asked Zuko without missing a beat.

"What? No small talk? I'm hurt, Zuko," Naruto said with mock insult. "I thought we were friends?"

Zuko rolled his eyes while Iroh chuckled and Mai shook her head with a smile. "Just answer the question."

Naruto suddenly turned serious. "We're here with the Avatar and his friends. The kid lost his bison and believes that it's in the city somewhere. Also," he then turned to Iroh, "I…_removed_ Azula from play."

Zuko looked surprised while Iroh narrowed his eyes slightly. "And how did you accomplish that?" asked the Dragon of the West.

"Calm down; I didn't kill her." He pointed to his Sharingan and continued, "My eye can 'remove' anything I wish from this plane; even parts of my body. Right now, the Fire Princess is enjoying her stay in solitude until I go in and talk to her. I'm gonna try to sway her to our side in this war since I think her worship for her father has seriously clouded her mind; that…and the loss of Ursa."

Zuko's eyes narrowed. "What does my mother have to do with-?"

"She's alive, Zuko," Naruto interrupted, making the prince and Iroh widen their eyes in shock.

"It's true," Mai said, finally speaking up. "We met her last year and she's safe. She misses you both, and Azula as well. I'm sure we can take you to see her. Right, Naruto?"

"I see no reason why I can't. But, I'll need you to help us go against Ozai in this war, Zuko. I know you believe he can restore your honor, but open your eyes. A man's honor is his and his alone. Only he can deem it lost or redeemed. It all matters on how his heart takes his actions."

Zuko looked away in thought while Iroh gave Naruto a nod. "I'll be sure to help you wherever I can. The Shiro Renge is aware of your return and they are preparing as we speak."

"Glad to hear it. Now, Zuko," he called out and the prince looked to him, "you don't have to answer now, but when you have one, just stab this into the ground or a wall." He then handed Zuko a three pronged kunai with a fuinjutsu array on the handle. "I'll arrive shortly when you do."

Zuko took the kunai and nodded to him before Naruto bid them farewell and disappeared with Mai in a swirl of leaves.

With Team Avatar

"We need to tell the Earth King about the coming eclipse and fast," Sokka said after the four teens got settled in their new home; a high class home in the Upper Ring of the city.

"How the hell do you think we're gonna pull that off?" Toph scoffed before she posed like Joo Dee. "One doesn't just 'pop in' on the Earth King!"

"Then sneak in," came Naruto's voice as he and Mai walked into the parlor of the home. "It shouldn't be that difficult to get into the party unnoticed."

Toph sniggered at the blonde, making him raise a brow. "You know how difficult it'd be for them to act like 'High Society'? Katara could pull it off and I'm sure you and Mai could also. But the boys? Not a chance!"

"Ah, but you learned it, right?" Sokka asked. "You could teach us!"

"Yea, I mean I'm learning the four elements. How hard can manners be?" Aang questioned confidently.

Naruto's eye twitched when he saw the two fools act 'civilized' and smack one another in the forehead when they bowed at the same time. "You dumbasses would be noticed a mile away," Toph scoffed. "The best thing you two could pull off would be busboys."

"But I feel so fancy…" Sokka whined before he was smacked on the head by an irate blonde.

"Enough fooling around already! If _this_ is how you normally behave, High Society behavior is nothing but a dream for you then. Toph and Katara will go with Mai and I into the party as guests while you and Aang sneak in as servers. If we're going to pull this off, then we have to blend in and be very careful about this. Something's up with this city; something familiar from my time…"

"Alright, we should get ready then," Katara said as she, Toph, and Mai left to get dressed.

Naruto sighed and ran a hand through his hair in frustration. "I can't believe I'm wasting my time going to a party when I could be doing something important."

"Like what? Belittling me some more?" asked Aang in annoyance.

Naruto raised a brow at his sudden anger before he smirked. "No, I don't want to waste my time on something so mundane." His form was soon covered in smoke before he was seen in the outfit he wore during Mai's father's promotion celebration. "I have something more important to do."

As he left the boys in the room, Aang looked to him with a small scowl while Sokka looked on worriedly. "I'll show him not to belittle me…" Aang muttered before he left to his room.

With Naruto, he stood in the backyard garden of the home and sighed before he disappeared in a temporal swirl. When he opened his eyes again, he was in his personal Kamui Dimension. His was like Obito's; an endless void of darkness with block shaped platforms above and below him. Azula was crouched on one, holding her injured arm in anger.

"Enjoying your stay, Azula?" asked the blonde, making her turn to him in rage and glare coldly at him.

"Here to gloat, Uzumaki?" she hissed out.

Naruto was silent as he approached her. He placed a hand on her wound, making her hiss in pain. She was about to lash out at him before she felt warmth on her wound. She looked to it and was amazed when she saw her skin slowly stitch itself back together and feeling returned to her arm. After a bit, she was fully healed and Naruto stood up with a small grin.

"Feeling better?" Azula said nothing and turned her head with a scoff, making Naruto roll his eyes. "Kami-sama, you're just like _he_ was… But, I shouldn't be surprised since he was your ancestor and all."

"Who are you talking about?" she asked as she turned her gaze back to him.

"…Sasuke Uchiha; your ancestor on your father's side." He then chuckled humorously.

"What's so funny?"

"Just the fact that the Royal Family is also related to me in a way. You wanna know who Sasuke had children with?" When she slowly nodded, he answered, "A woman named Karin Uzumaki; my cousin. You, Zuko, your father, Iroh… All of you are distant cousins to me, and we're on opposing sides! I never wanted to fight against Uzumaki seeing as there were so few of us left, but you and your damnable father are leaving me without any other options!" He then glared at the princess, making her unconsciously try to move back at the fury in his eyes. "You have no idea what horror your father is threatening to bring upon this world… The despair and terror everyone will feel is unfathomable!"

His glare increased in fury before he turned and pointed off in the distance before a flash of light appeared in the void, making the princess cover her eyes from the brightness.

As the light died down, she heard Naruto whisper, "Let me give you a glimpse of what will happen from your father's war; the World's Apocalypse, Juubi…"

A tremor broke through the void as the great beast roared and a single, blood red eye opened up to her. The eye had four concentric circles with nine tomoe in the three circles closest to the pupil. Fear gripped her heart as the eye stared at her and she felt it pierce right into, as if it was looking right into her soul. Another roar shook the void and she found it hard to breathe or even stay conscious.

Then, as suddenly as the feeling of pure despair came, it vanished along with the Juubi. "Now do you see?" asked Naruto. "Do you see why I'm trying to stop Ozai before he goes too far?" He knelt down next to her and placed his hands on her shoulders. "I need you to help me stop him, Azula. I can help you in return." The form of Ursa appeared next to him, shocking her. "She's still alive, you know? And she misses you… She misses you and Zuko so much…" The copy of Ursa faded with a smile and Azula kept staring at where it once was.

She was silent before asking in a low tone, "Would you really be able to let me see her?"

"Yes, I give you my word as an Uzumaki…and as your cousin."

"…Could you give me some time to think it over?" she asked hesitantly, making Naruto smile.

"Sure… If you need to talk to me, just call out my name and I'll appear shortly," he said as he disappeared in another vortex.

Azula sighed as she was left to her thoughts. _'I wonder… Was everything I believed to be right a lie?'_

One Hour Later

Naruto stood with the girls in the entrance line of the party and sighed at his predicament. Mai was dressed in the kimono she wore to her father's party while Katara and Toph were dressed in fancy Earth Kingdom kimonos. While the younger two women had make-up on, Mai refused to wear any much to Naruto's relief. He preferred seeing Mai naturally and not all dolled up.

"Invitation please?" asked the guard at the entrance.

Naruto merely looked him in the eye with his Sharingan and the guard allowed them entry.

It wasn't even ten minutes later before Aang accidentally caused a scene and the guests were murmuring excitedly about the Avatar being at the party. Naruto had to resist the urge to face palm at the terrible timing and/or luck the kid seemed to have.

_'Kami-sama, I swear that his terrible luck puts baa-chan's to shame.'_

**"No kidding… I fear for the future of the Spirit World if his luck is **_**this**_** bad."** The fox suddenly stiffened. **"Naruto, EarthBenders at 6 o'clock!"**

Naruto tensed before he grabbed Mai's shoulder and the two saw earth gloves shoot right through them and hit an unsuspecting guest. Naruto glared at the dark clothed EarthBender and shot a small lightning senbon at his neck, paralyzing him and causing him to fall limp.

"We're leaving," he said to Mai before the two disappeared in a blur of speed. Naruto had clones form and grab the other four before they were snatched by other pairs of earth gloves, causing the EarthBenders to silently curse and leave unnoticed.

A man dressed in noble clothing, black hair in a long braided tail, and green eyes scowled slightly at the loss of getting the Avatar. _'Naruto Uzumaki… My ancestor had a lot to say about you and how you meddled in a lot of things. I can see that he was right. No matter; I'll come to you instead,'_ he thought before he left the party in the same manner as his Dai Li agents.

Upper Ring Home

The teens were confused at how they disappeared from the party before they saw Naruto and Mai scowling in thought.

"Why were those EarthBenders trying to capture us?" asked Mai.

"I'm guessing that Aang's little entrance caused them to panic and want to quiet the party down. But then again, they were after _all_ of us and not just Aang." Naruto's eyes narrowed even further as he stated, "We're being targeted. Someone wants to meet us for some reason." He then opened the door, revealing the same man from the party. "Isn't that right?"

The others looked to the man in suspicion while he chuckled at Naruto. "I see the rumors of your skills are not without merit, Lord Uzumaki."

"It's rude not to introduce yourself before revealing you know the other's identity," Naruto said with a glare. _'Why does this guy feel so familiar?'_

"Ah yes, how rude of me… I am Long Feng, Grand Secretariat and High Advisor to His Majesty, the Earth King. I'd like a word with you and Avatar Aang if you don't mind."

The Uzumaki slowly made room for the man to step inside. When he turned to face them again, Aang asked, "What did you want with us?"

"You caused quite a scene tonight, young Avatar. The question is were you there just to crash His Majesty's party or was there a bigger reason."

"We needed to speak to the Earth King concerning the war," Sokka answered.

The man gained a look of fake shock. "War? There is no war within the walls of Ba-Sing Sei."

"What are you talking about?! There's a war out there and Ba-Sing Sei is going to be caught right in the middle of it!" Katara argued.

Naruto growled. "Don't waste your breath… This man is more than he seems. If those EarthBenders trying to capture us is anything to go by, this guy is pretty high up there; maybe even higher than 'His Majesty'."

"Higher than the Earth King? That's preposterous… His Majesty is an icon; a god to his people. He can't waste his time on something as trivial as a false war."

"So the King's just a figurehead," Katara said in shock.

"He's your puppet!" Toph growled out.

"We won't let the people keep believing your lies!" Sokka exclaimed.

"I'll tell them; I'll tell them all what's really going on!"

Long Feng suddenly gained a stern and commanding tone as he stated, "Right now you've been treated as honored guests… But from now on you'll be watched over at all times by Dai Li agents. If you cause any more problems within this city, this last utopia anyone could ever wish for, you will be expelled and never be allowed to return."

"Typical… Cast out those who are threats to your 'grand schemes'," Mai commented with narrowed eyes.

"Just like any other corrupt political figure I've ever met," Naruto added. His eyes narrowed when Long Feng chuckled darkly.

"Oh no, I'm more than just a politician, Uzumaki. You see, my ancestor knew you quite well; you could even say well enough to mark you as a wrench in his own plans. I'm sure that you remember Danzo Shimura?"

Naruto's eyes changed with Kyuubi's influence. "Now I know why you have such a similar energy reading… Just like your ancestor; trying to control the world behind the scenes." He then pulled out the book written by "Rooted Tree" and stated, "I wouldn't be surprised if this was his last words."

"Ah, I was wondering where his journal was… Figures you'd be the one to find it," Long Feng commented with his own eyes narrowed. "Regardless, if any of you continue to cause any problems, not only will you be expelled, but the Avatar may never see his precious bison again."

"Appa? Where is he?!"

"If you behave yourself like a good little boy, then I may be more inclined to let you see you pet again. That all depends on you." He then strode past them and looked back when he reached the door. "My men will be watching you; especially _you_, Uzumaki," he said as he left.

The group looked to the door with scowls on their faces. While Team Avatar decided to play it safe, Naruto and Mai shared a look and nodded.

Long Feng wasn't going to get away with this.

(End)

And that was chapter fourteen! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the future chapters to come! If you have any questions or concerns, PM me!

Again, I apologize for the ridiculously late update… I also apologize in advance since future updates will be scarce since I'm going back to full-time at work.

I'll try to update on the weekends, but I'll focus on two stories a week. Next week will be Naruto of the Dead and Sacrifice and the week after will be this story and Melodic Maelstrom. I'll switch every week and try my best to update regularly. Thanks for all of your guys' support, reviews, and understanding!

Now please: Review! Review! Review!

Next Time: The shinobi duo makes their move in Ba-Sing Sei! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	15. Chapter 15: Raised Curtain

Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the next chapter of "Mai's Teacher"!

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto or Avatar the Last AirBender

"Speech"

_'__Thoughts'_

**"Higher Being Speech"**

**_'__Higher Being Thoughts'_**

"_Jutsu_"

(Technique Translations)

Scene Shift

Chapter 15: Raised Curtain

"What have the Avatar and his friends been doing lately, Hiroshi?" asked Long Feng as he walked down a dimly lit hallway with his second in command.

"Not much to be honest, sir. The Avatar helped out the local zookeeper with his animals and their small habitats, the WaterBender and EarthBender mainly checked out the city and the various sites, and the Water Tribe male asked around for the bison but didn't find anything."

"What of Uzumaki and his student?"

"They haven't left the house at all, sir. Not once during the week did they leave. I assume that they're planning something against you, sir."

Long Feng hummed in thought concerning the lack of activity from Naruto and Mai. It was unnerving wondering what the two could possibly be up to in the home. _'My men can't get too close or else the Uzumaki and his student will sense them. What could they possibly be doing?'_

Upper Ring Home

"So, do you think this will work? I mean, based on what you told us, we're up against a literal army of EarthBenders that could go to the Earth King should we screw up…" stated Azula as she and Ty Lee sat before Naruto and Mai.

During the week, Naruto had been asked by Azula to be let out of the Kamui Dimension. The princess had decided to help out the Uzumaki in taking a stand against her father and preventing the coming of Juubi; a decision that made Naruto thank her for.

As for Ty Lee, Naruto knew that the Dai Li were constantly watching their every move. So, the blonde had used _Henge_ to change himself into a random and unassuming bird that flew throughout the city and found the bubbly teen. She had been able to get into the city under the guise of another refugee and was hoping to find Azula. Apparently, Ty Lee thought that Azula had been able to get in and didn't have enough time to take anyone else with her.

One _Shunshin_ later, she was in the fancy home and reunited with her friends.

"Yes, I know what the odds are. However, I also know that those Dai Li are _far_ too young to be a threat to me. The biggest issue for us is finding out where their base of operations is. Once we find that, we expose him for the city to see," informed the Uzumaki.

"It sounds like it could work, but where would we start our search?" asked Ty Lee with a finger on her lip in thought.

Mai had her eyes closed in thought and thought of possible locations in the city big enough to hold a base. "Maybe…it isn't _directly_ in the city. Maybe it's still within the main wall, but not in very populated areas…"

Naruto nodded. "That's usually where bases big enough to hold armies are held; hidden among the populace, yet also _not_ among them."

Azula sighed in slight frustration. "That could be anywhere in the fields or lakes that are within the walls. We'd be searching for days, or even weeks, before we ever found it."

"Maybe not," Naruto said with a smirk. "All we need are extra eyes and ears, and I know where we can get them."

Ty Lee and Azula looked to him in confusion while Mai matched his smirk.

The Next Day

The city of Ba-Sing Sei saw nothing new within its walls except for the immigrating refugees and an occasional toad or owl at random parts of the city. What the citizens didn't know about the animals was that they were summons from Naruto and were looking around for anything suspicious within the city.

"Anything yet?" asked Yuki as she and her friend Tetsu as they searched a place called Lake Laogai.

"Nothing visible on the surface… There could be something beneath the lake. But, wouldn't they need a WaterBender to help them out, according to Naruto-sama?"

Yuki looked to the lake suspiciously as the waters rippled with the breeze. "Hmm… Maybe we should tell Naruto-sama about this. He should be able to see if anything unusual is there."

Tetsu nodded. "Alright, I'll go get him while you keep looking. We both know that I'm the faster one of the both of us."

"Okay, but be careful. Those Dai Li that Naruto-sama told us about may know that we're summons for him."

"Understood," said Tetsu as he disappeared in a plume of smoke.

Yuki turned her attention back to the lake and narrowed her amphibious eyes at the surface. Without any hesitation, she dove into the water and began to swim deeper and deeper in hopes of finding anything.

With Naruto

The blonde was busy meditating alongside Mai while Ty Lee was going over the scroll that Naruto gave her three years ago. He wanted the princess to have something else besides her Bending at her disposal; especially since Fire was naturally weaker to Earth.

Within his mind, Naruto stood before Kurama and they both had their eyes closed in thought. **"What if you just killed Ozai and end the war?"**

"It wouldn't work… We both know that Ozai isn't the only FireBender who believes that the Fire Nation is meant to rule. If we killed him now, all it would do to them is put a dent in their plans that could easily be fixed."

**"This war is nowhere near close to ending though… And the Juubi just need a little more before it breaks out of the Spirit Realm. Your outburst with my power back at the North Pole gave it enough of my youki to start forming. Luckily for us, even if it successfully merges all of the Bijuu youki into a single energy, it still needs a host; a **_**physical**_** host."**

Naruto nodded with a relieved look on his face. "Thank Kami that it doesn't have one yet."

**"But there's another problem; that Solar Eclipse."**

"What about it?"

**"The sun will be behind the moon and all of its solar energy will hit the moon directly. The Juubi is a mass of energy… The Rikudo Sennin never specified what energy, or ener**_**gies**_**, it couldn't use."**

Naruto's eyes widened in worry and he asked, "Is there anything we can do?"

**"Not this time… We can't interfere with a natural occurrence; we don't have the power. We'll just have to be prepared for anything on the Day of Black Sun."**

Naruto nodded as he left his mindscape. When he opened his eyes he saw Gamatetsu jump in through the window and turn to him. "Naruto-sama, we think we found something!"

Lake Laogai

Naruto and the girls all appeared in front of the large lake in a distorted swirl. Immediately, the Uzumaki sensed many sources of energy deep beneath the lake and he smirked.

"So, an underwater base… Clever, Long Feng; very clever…"

"How will we get down there?" asked Ty Lee. "If the base in beneath the lake, there should be an entrance that only the Dai Li know of."

"Most likely, the entrance can only be found with Bending," Azula added with a thoughtful look on her face.

"That's true," Mai agreed. "Which means that we're gonna need to ask Aang and the others to help us."

Naruto narrowed his eyes at the water and saw ripples forming in a slightly erratic manner before the surface splashed and Yuki landed on the shore in front of him. "Man… That was a waste of time," she grumbled before she saw the blonde. "Oh, Naruto-sama! There's a base beneath the lake, but I couldn't find a way inside."

"Yea, we figured there wouldn't be. You did well, Yuki; you too Tetsu. Go back and let the others know that we found it. Let the owls know too."

The two toads nodded while Naruto summoned two clones that transformed into ravens. With but a nod, the first clone flew off to find the Gaang and inform them of the situation while the other flew off to get Zuko and Iroh.

Half an Hour Later

It was very tense on the shore of Lake Laogai as the Gaang stared down the members of the Fire Nation. Zuko seemed to be seriously restraining himself from going after either Aang or Azula while the princess looked indifferent.

Naruto stood between them all should any side make a move. "Listen up, I know that you all have been on opposing sides in the past, but I want you to put those feelings aside for now. Aang, Zuko and the others are helping me, so I won't tolerate you or your friends attacking them. As for you Zuko, you know that Aang is needed for the world's future, so I won't allow you to attack him either." He gave them both hard looks. "Is that clear?"

The two narrowed their eyes at one another before they both nodded slowly. "Fine, I won't go after the Avatar," Zuko said.

"And I won't try to fight Zuko."

"Good. Now, Toph or Katara, I need one of you to see if there's a way to enter the base using your Bending. And will someone please tell me why three civilians are here?"

The "civilians" in question were three "freedom fighters" by the names Jet, Smellerbee, and Longshot. A few months back, when the Gaang didn't have Toph on their team yet and when the shinobi duo were searching for Wan's Library, the Trio had met Jet and helped him "liberate" some small towns near the forest that the "freedom fighters" were living in. however, Sokka had discovered the truth and tried to tell his friends, but they were too trusting of Jet.

It wasn't until Aang and Katara saw for themselves that they finally understood that Jet's methods were wrong and they put a stop to them.

"Jet was brainwashed by Long Feng and he had a feeling about Lake Laogai. Smellerbee and Longshot came with him to help him out since they're his friends," explained Sokka.

"Okay, but this isn't a place for civilians," Naruto said as he stared them down. Longshot quickly fired an arrow in retaliation but it was easily caught by the Uzumaki. He then ducked under a knife strike from Smellerbee and knocked the wind out of her with a palm strike. Jet hooked his twin hook swords together and went in for a strike, but Naruto lazily threw a senbon in the space between the two conjoined weapons and made them lock in place. "Do you see now? I can see the drive and determination within you, but I also know that at least _one_ of you will die if you come with us. Do you really want to risk your lives so needlessly?"

The three looked to him in determination while Jet said, "We've been risking our lives for years, so this isn't anything new to us."

The blonde looked to them for a few seconds before he sighed and relented. "Fine, but make sure to run for it should things get out of hand." He then turned to Toph and Katara and nodded.

Toph stomped her foot on the ground and used her seismic sense to look for an entrance while Katara prepared to split the water should her friend not find one. Toph then smirked and raised her fist, bringing up an earthen walkway that led to what looked like the opening of a manhole.

The group of 13 made their way down and entered a cavern like base with many different rooms. Naruto peeked into one and saw many women with dead looking eyes standing before a Dai Li agent.

"I am Joo Dee. Welcome to Ba-Sing Sei," said the agent in a hypnotic voice.

"I am Joo Dee. Welcome to Ba-Sing Sei," repeated the women in a dazed tone.

_'Dear Kami, it's basically Danzo's ROOT reborn,'_ Naruto mentally raged. He then turned to the others and motioned them forward. "You all go on ahead. I'll get their attention and hold them off. Look for Appa and anything connecting Long Feng to the acts performed in this base."

The others nodded and left while Mai gave him a worried look. She quickly ran back to him and kissed him, shocking the others besides the Gaang. When they separated, she said, "Be careful."

"You too, Mai. Now go."

She nodded and the others went deeper into the base while Naruto gathered chakra into his fist. With a roar, he slammed it into the ground beneath him and shook the base with its impact. Within seconds, Dai Li agents filled the halls and surrounded the Uzumaki, making him smirk at how easily he got their attention.

"Uzumaki… What a surprise seeing you here," said Long Feng as he walked between his men and stood before Naruto. "You do realize that I can't exactly let you leave now that you've discovered my hidden base, right?"

Naruto shrugged before smirking at Danzo's descendant. "Yea, I figured that would happen." He then unsealed his Sennin Staff and Gaara's gourd and assumed a battle stance. "Good thing I'm prepared then, ne?"

"Kill him," ordered the Dai Li leader as his men sprang into action.

Half of them jumped up and clung to the walls and ceiling for different points of attack while the other half stayed on the ground and fired multiple pieces of earth at him. With one hand, Naruto used the staff to expertly block the rubble while the other commanded the sand to attack. Tendrils of the mineralized earth snatched various agents and flung them into one another. Some of the agents decided to get in close to deal with the Uzumaki, but they were turned to stone by the Senjutsu powered staff.

It wasn't even two minutes later that the agents had lost over a quarter of their numbers. "Come now, this can't possibly all that you have," Naruto taunted. He then smirked and resealed his two items. "There, now I don't have my weapons with me. Think you can get a hit on me now?"

The agents bristled at the taunt and attacked with more vigor, making Naruto's smirk grow at the fact that they weren't robbed of their emotions like Danzo's ROOT were. The blonde ducked under an earth shot, spun around some earth finger bullets, and back-flipped over a Dai Li agent trying to tackle him from behind. As soon as he landed, he spread his arms outwards and exploded his chakra.

"_Fuuton: Kaze Kyozetsu_ (Wind Repulse)!" he cried as a shockwave of razor wind exploded from him and pushed the agents nearest to him away with many cuts bleeding as they landed. The ones further away used their Bending to raise walls of earth to black the wind. Long Feng, who was furthest back, didn't need to and he saw the wind return to the Uzumaki before it surrounded him. "_Fuuton: Kaze no Yoroi_ (Wind Armor)," he whispered as the wind surrounded his limbs like small hurricanes and also formed a "wing" of wind on his left side.

The next thing Long Feng knew was that he blinked and saw the rest of his men on the ground bleeding and groaning in pain. As for Naruto himself; he was standing right behind the Dai Li leader.

"It's over Long Feng. Your men are taken care of and the Avatar and his friends are searching your base as we speak." The two then heard a loud groaning roar which made Naruto smirk and Long Feng scowl. "And by the sound of things, it looks like they found Appa."

"You think you've won? You think that just because you found this base it means that I've lost? I have other bases, more agents, and other people who could easily take my place if you dispose of me. You haven't beaten me; not even close."

Naruto scoffed before he struck the leader in the back of his neck and knocked him out. "I may not have beaten you, but at least I can raise the curtain you've thrown over the eyes of this city," he said as he absorbed the leader with his Sharingan.

Earth King's Throne Room; One Hour Later

Earth King Kuei, the 52nd Ruler of Ba-Sing Sei, gazed down at the group of 13 before him while the Uzumaki held a chained up Long Feng next to him. Appa stood behind them with Aang sitting atop his head. It was a happy reunion for the two when the others found the bison and freed him.

"You honestly expect me to believe that my most trusted advisor was conspiring against me and hiding a war from me; a war that has been going on for 100 years?" asked the man.

"That's exactly what we expect you to believe, your Majesty," said Naruto as Mai stepped forward and handed Kuei the documents found in Long Feng's office. "Those hold records of almost everything that Long Feng has done; including the people he took and hypnotized in his base beneath Lake Laogai. If you look closely, you will also see that he had plans to replace the four generals under your command and further control the city with you as nothing more than a public face; a figurehead."

Kuei read through the documents, his eyes widening with every turn of the page and he looked to Long Feng in betrayal. "After all this time… After everything I trusted you with… You wish to betray my people and force them to live under you regulations! How could you do this to Ba-Sing Sei?!"

"I did it so that the city could be seen as the last utopia in the world; a place where everyone could live without the fear of war. You just can't see how good my intentions were," stated the Dai Li leader.

"Yea right," said Toph with a scoff. "You don't want to make a utopia. You want to make a city under your thumb and control. Why else would you go so far with your plans and not include the Earth King?"

"Your actions are that of a conspirator and nothing less," Iroh added. "I've seen plenty of men like you in my years. The 'peace' you seek will be nothing more than an illusion (1)."

"And what would you know of peace?" seethed Long Feng. "Most of you have lived lives of luxury and happiness while others, like me, started out from the bottom and were forced to claw our way to the top."

"Maybe they don't, but I do," Naruto said. "But what you went through is _nothing_ compared to my beginnings. You may have lied and ruined peoples' lives to get to where you are… But you have no idea what it's like to fight, and steal, and kill just to survive! You don't know what it's like to take back your life with your _own_ hands and not have to rely on others to do it for you!"

"Regardless, my intentions were pure," Long Feng said stubbornly.

Mai looked to him with narrowed eyes and asked, "Ever heard the phrase 'The road to Hell is paved with good intentions'?"

"Enough!" Kuei called out as he stood from his throne. "Guards, I want you to lock up Long Feng and make sure he has no chance of escaping! I'll speak to him when I'm ready." Once the guards removed the Dai Li leader, Kuei turned to the others and said, "As for the rest of you, I want you to tell me _exactly_ what has happened while my eyes were hidden behind a veil of lies."

Naruto and Mai stepped forward. "Allow us to tell you, your Highness."

(End)

1~ Seem familiar to anyone?

And that was chapter fifteen! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the future chapters to come! If you have any questions or concerns, PM me!

I know I gave you all times that I would update, but I've been thinking of working on stories that I still have on hold (Bloody Guardian and Spiritual Bonds) as well. So, updating will still be on the weekends. HOWEVER, I will have NO set stories that I will update. For all you know, next weekend will have only one update, or maybe even a new story idea! Please stay tuned to my updates though! I love reading your reviews and seeing how you guys like my stories!

Now please: Review! Review! Review!

Next Time: Plans are made for the Day of Black Sun! Meanwhile, the Gaang separates and meets people both known and unknown! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


	16. Chapter 16: Preparations

Hello FanFiction! This is pain17ification posting the next chapter of "Mai's Teacher"!

Please note: pain17ification doesn't own Naruto or Avatar the Last AirBender

"Speech"

_'__Thoughts'_

**"Higher Being Speech"**

**_'__Higher Being Thoughts'_**

"_Jutsu_"

(Technique Translations)

Scene Shift

Chapter 16: Preparations

"And that's all that has been going on without your knowledge, Your Majesty," Naruto said as he, the members of the Fire Nation, and Earth King Kuei sat inside of his personal office. The others had opted to help make sure Long Feng was securely imprisoned. Better to be safe than sorry.

"I can't believe that I never knew…" Kuei whispered out sadly. "All this time, a war was going on; one that could grow to a global scale!" He then turned to the Fire Nation members and asked, "If it is truly your country that is waging war, then why are you not trying to finish me off?"

Iroh stepped forward and explained, "While it is true that I once dreamed of taking over your city, it is no longer the case. My eyes were opened years ago and now I only seek peace between the nations."

"My uncle has been helping me figure out what he has," Zuko stated as he looked to be in contemplation. "While I still have this voice in my head screaming at me to regain my honor by removing you, I know that helping you is the right choice."

"I'm here because I wish to see someone who I thought was dead," Azula said as she leaned against a wall with her arms crossed. "Naruto promised me and my brother the chance to see her again if we help take down our father. He also helped me see that if this war continues, then something worse will be brought to the nations."

Kuei nodded at the reasonings of the Royal Family and then turned to Ty Lee. She smiled and said, "I'm here because I don't want to see this war go on anymore. I've seen plenty of it and I know that it is definitely wrong. Plus, my friends are here and they want to end it as well. I'll do anything I can to help them."

"I see," Kuei murmured to himself before he turned to the two shinobi. "And what of you two? Why did you go through all of the trouble just to help me open my eyes to the truth?"

Naruto was leaning on a wall much like Azula and didn't answer right away, making Mai and the others turn to him expectantly. He cracked open his natural eye at Kuei and answered, "The only reason I'm here is to stop this world from being plunged into darkness. This war will bring about a being so fearsome and powerful, that I'm not even sure I have the strength to even hold it off for long. This being will not hesitate to rip the earth apart and bring chaos to the nations; the Juubi no Saika (Ten-Tailed Calamity)…"

"Is there a chance that we can prevent it from being brought forth?"

Naruto shook his head slowly and solemnly. "No… It has enough power to break through to the Mortal Plane from the Spiritual and seek a human host. However, seeing as it hasn't done so yet, I can only guess that it is biding its time for a chance to gain more power."

"When do you think that will be, Naruto?" asked Mai in worry as the others now had their full attention on the blonde's words.

"…During the eclipse; the Day of Black Sun. The sun will be directly behind the moon, hitting it fully with its energy. The Juubi of my era was said to be trapped within the lunar sphere, so if it is hit by a direct line from the sun…"

"Then that means that the Juubi in the Spiritual Plane will be able to gain an incredible amount of power; easily enough to leave and search for a host," Iroh finished with wide eyes.

"Exactly… Even if we end this war, we will still be unable to stop the Juubi from arriving on that day. However, we still need to put an end to it so that the Juubi has a much lower amount of negative energy to call upon when it arrives. We also need to be sure that we have enough military strength to have a fighting chance against the beast. However, there is no doubt in my mind that many people will die in holding off the Juubi… And I doubt I will survive either," stated the Uzumaki much to the surprise of the others, save for Mai who looked away sadly.

Kuei then stood up from his seat and began to head back to his throne room. "Then we must act quickly if we are to prepare for the coming trials. Captain!"

"Yes, Your Majesty!" said an EarthBender Captain with a salute.

"Summon my four generals at once! And get me a messenger bird! There is much we need to do and we are running out of time the more we wait!"

"At once, My Lord!" he saluted before rushing off to complete his tasks.

Naruto nodded at this and made to leave the room before Kuei called out, "What will you do while I begin preparations?"

Naruto turned back to him and replied, "I'm going to fulfill my promise to Azula and Zuko before I take my student for the final stages of her training. Tell the Avatar when he and his friends return to meet me at the Eastern Air Temple in one week's time."

Kuei nodded while Naruto and the Fire Nation members left the Royal Palace. Summoning two large owls, the group of six took off towards the Earth Kingdom settlement of Hera; the town where Ursa was staying in.

Hera (Three Days Later)

Ursa was preparing tea for her friend Eva who was currently visiting. The two had spent more time together ever since the rescue of the innocent woman by Naruto and Mai months ago. Eva still couldn't get over how safe she felt and how handsome her rescuer was while Ursa kept thinking about how much stronger Mai must be due to being his student.

They were interrupted by a knock on the door and Ursa went to answer it. When she opened it, her eyes widened in shock and tears threatened to spill at the sight of her two children with her brother-in-law, Ty Lee, and the two shinobi right behind them. "Z-Zuko? Azula?" she asked hesitantly as if they would disappear and her eyes would open from another dream.

Instead of a verbal answer, Zuko embraced her while Azula offered a very rare true smile. When Ursa turned her gaze to Naruto, he smiled and nodded as if to confirm to her that the two in front of her were real. Overjoyed, Ursa pulled Azula into the embrace as she cried into her children's' shoulders.

After some time, she was able to recompose herself and usher them all inside. However, Naruto politely declined the offer and told her that he and Mai needed to head out in order to meet Aang on time at the Air Temple. Understanding that what they had to do was important, Ursa thanked them profusely for reuniting her with her family and bid them farewell.

Once the two shinobi left, Ursa turned to the others with a kind and gentle smile. "So, tell me everything about your lives so far."

Easter Air Temple (Three and a Half Days Later)

Upon arriving at the Easter Air Temple, Aang was greeted by a guru named Pathik who introduced himself as a Spiritual Brother of the Air Nomads and a personal friend of Gyatso. This surprised the AirBender, but he was eager to learn from the man.

"Before you begin your journey to bring balance to the world, you must first bring balance to yourself. And the first step is with this," informed the guru before he gave the Avatar a yellow-green liquid.

Aang took a drink before immediately spitting it out in disgust. "Ugh! It tastes like onion and banana juice!"

"That's because it is!" happily declared Pathik before he drank his own dish. "Yum Yum!"

Aang couldn't help but blink at how eccentric the man before him was. Before he could say anything, a screech filled the air and the two turned to see the shinobi duo riding up to the temple on Koyuki. When they landed, Naruto dismissed the snowy owl and bowed to the guru in respect. "It's nice to meet someone so spiritually aware and at peace with himself. I am Naruto Uzumaki and this is my apprentice, Mai Nara."

Pathik smiled at them in greeting and nodded. "The pleasure and honor is all mine, Master Sage. I take it that you're here to train your student in the ways of the Sage as well as keep track of young Aang's progress?"

"That is correct."

"Then I welcome you both to the Eastern Air Temple. Come then, we have much to do and our time window is steadily closing," stated the guru before heading through the temple and leading them to a cavernous area with many pools of water. "I had a vision many years ago about being a guide and teacher for the Avatar on his journey to spiritual enlightenment. To do this, I plan to teach him how to open up and control his chakras; or spiritual limiters."

Naruto nodded in understanding while Aang looked slightly confused and Mai just paid attention. "It almost seems like what you're doing is helping him with his Inner Gates that deal with chakra that shinobi use…"

"In a way, it is like that. However, while the chakra of _your_ era was a balance of spiritual and physical energies, the chakras I speak of refer only to spiritual. The Inner Gates of your era also focused on the physical aspects of the one opening them, which made them so dangerous to open."

"You seem to know quite a bit about my era," commented the Uzumaki with a raised brow.

"I have been around for quite some time, Master Sage. During my travels, I came across old tomes and scrolls concerning your people and learned all that I can from them. I know much more than most, but if I had to guess, then I'd say that I only know about a quarter the amount of information concerning your era."

Naruto nodded and listened to Pathik as he explained to Aang about how chakras needed to be opened and how it was an intense experience. He even warned that once the Avatar began, he could not stop until all seven were opened or else he would be completely blocked off from his spiritual side.

Once Aang agreed to begin, Pathik turned to the other two and said, "You are both welcome to join us as well. Anyone can go on this journey as it helps lead to inner peace of mind and soul."

Naruto shook his head and replied, "As tempting as it is, I need to get started on teaching Mai about Senjutsu. But, I will definitely ask you to help me when I feel she is ready."

"I understand, and I wish young Mai good luck on her training."

"Thank you, Guru Pathik," said the Nara with a bow before Naruto led her back outside. She was surprised when he suddenly left in a plume of smoke, and her surprise grew when she did as well. When her amber eyes opened again, she was taken aback at the site of a dense swamp-like forest with toads of all sizes going about their business.

"Welcome, Mai, to Mt. Myoboku," stated Naruto as many of the toads looked to the two shinobi in surprise.

"This place is…amazing," Mai whispered in awe. "This is the home of the toads?"

Naruto nodded before he stood stock still with his eyes closed. "It is also the safest place for you to learn Senjutsu. I will warn you now, learning this art is a long and trying journey. However," he said as he opened his Sage Eyes at her, "the end result is definitely worth it."

Mai looked to the toad-like eyes in wonder before a smirk came to her face. "Let's get to it then."

Back with Aang and Pathik, the AirBender was currently on his third chakra; the Fire Chakra. It dealt with Willpower but was blocked by Shame.

The first two chakras were Earth and Water. Earth was found at the base of the spine, dealt with Survival, and was blocked by Fear. To overcome this, Aang had to envision what he feared the most, which was Ozai surrounded by darkness and fire. At first, he was afraid that the vision was real, but Pathik informed him that it was not and that he had to clear his mind of his fear. The AirBender was able to do so after some time, opening his first chakra.

The second chakra, Water, was located at the sacrum. It dealt with Pleasure and was blocked by Guilt. When asked what he blamed himself for, Aang reminisced of the day he fled the Southern Air Temple upon finding out that he was the Avatar. On top of this, he remembered the time that he hurt Earth Kingdom soldiers at General Fong's fortress while in the Avatar State. Pathik told Aang to accept that these things happened, and urged him to prevent them from clouding his judgment and poison his energy; he stated that Aang must forgive himself if he wanted to be a positive influence on the world. Aang did so, and successfully opened the second chakra.

Now that he was on the third, he had to lay out all of his shame before him. The biggest shame that Aang felt was when he used FireBending too early and ended up burning Katara.

"I'm never going to use FireBending again; I can't," Aang said sadly.

"You cannot achieve balance if you deny that part of your life. You are the Avatar; therefore you are a FireBender," Pathik stated as Aang finally accepted the fact and opened his chakra. However, something seemed off to the guru. "Hmm… That chakra opened much less like a flowing creek, and more like a…burping bison."

Aang's response was a very loud burp before he smacked his lips. "Tastes like onions and bananas, but strangely something else… Pickles?" he asked as he turned to Pathik who just shrugged unsurely.

"We'll continue this tomorrow, Aang. You need to rest. We'll deal with the next three in the morning and then the last the day after."

Aang nodded at his current teacher and left to go spend time with Appa.

Back with the shinobi, Mai was in the middle of getting a feel for gathering nature chakra with the help of the toad's special oil. So far, her progress was minimal. She couldn't stay still long enough to gather the energy and it resulted in Naruto hitting it out of her with his Senjutsu Staff.

"You need to focus, Mai. This is the final stage of your training before I give you your ultimate task. Remember, you don't control the power; you accept it and allow it to fill you up. In order to do this, you need to relax and let go."

Mai nodded and settled into her meditative position. She opened her senses to the natural energy surrounding her and controlled her chakra to allow the energy to enter her body. The sensation of having nature chakra enter her was bizarre and unfamiliar, but she ignored it in favor of letting her body relax and have the energy fill her.

Naruto looked to her with an analytic gaze, watching for any signs of her becoming a stone toad statue. Senjutsu was incredibly difficult for one to learn, but he had faith in Mai and would guide her through the trials. He then noticed her eyes slowly gaining the orange pigmentation around the lids. _'Amazing… To think she could relax her body and mind so well. Still, it's probably because she had someone to guide her all throughout her time as a shinobi. I didn't have many people help me, so I wasn't as skilled as she is now. Maybe if I did have someone to teach me like I did her, I would have had fewer issues with my training…'_

After nearly fifteen minutes of allowing the energy to slowly fill her, Mai opened her eyes and Naruto smirked at the sight of the yellow irises and rounded horizontal pupils.

"How do you feel, Mai?"

Mai slowly looked to her right hand and clenched it, getting a feel for the power flowing through her. She smiled and looked to her sensei/precious person. "I feel great! Better than I ever felt before!"

Naruto chuckled at her enthusiasm and pointed to a large stone frog. "Show me, then."

Mai smirked and stepped up to the stature before she used her newly enhanced strength to heft it over her head and hold it with both hands. "How's that?"

Naruto's smirk grew into a grin and he nodded to her. "Great work! Now, we move on to you learning to do it _without_ the oil. Grab some of those stone tablets behind you and follow me," he stated before he made his way to the mountainous area of Myoboku with Mai in tow. He then looked up to the sun and thought, _'It's a good thing that time moves differently in the summoning realms… It feels like a week has passed, but I bet it's only been a day.'_

Back with the Avatar, he had just completed the fifth chakra; the Sound Chakra. Before, he had to handle the Air Chakra, located in the heart. It dealt with Love, but was blocked by Grief. The grief he had was for his people; the Air Nomads. But, Pathik informed him that Love was a form of energy and swirled all around every person. The love his people had that he lost was reformed into new love; his love for Katara. This chakra was the most enlightening for the young AirBender as he opened it with tears of joy coming from his eyes.

The Sound Chakra was located in the throat. It dealt with Truth and was blocked by Lies. When Pathik explained that the fifth chakra was blocked mainly by the lies we tell ourselves, Aang remembered the instance when he concealed his true identity from Sokka and Katara, stating that he did not tell them that he was the Avatar at first, because he never wanted to be. Pathik said that Aang could not lie about his own nature, and that he needed to accept his destiny as the Avatar. With a sigh and a vision of him watching the world from above, Aang accepted this idea, and he successfully opened the Sound Chakra.

"The sixth pool of chakra is the Light Chakra, located in the center of the forehead. It deals with Insight, and is blocked by illusion. The greatest illusion of this world is the illusion of separation."

"You mean like the Four Nations?"

"Yes… We are all one whole world, yet we live as if divided…"

"We're all connected… _Everything_ is connected," Aang said in realization.

"That's correct. Even the illusion of the four elements is a block. The world relies on them all, yet we praise each one in a separate manner and cloud our minds from seeing the truth."

"I get it… It's like learning from only source when there are many others that all lead to the same goal; like how I'm learning about the other nations when I was born an AirBender."

"Exactly. Congratulations, Aang. You have opened the Chakra of Insight. Now, we will deal with the final one tomorrow. Be ready, for it will no doubt be the most difficult for you," he warned before he left the AirBender to his thoughts.

Aang kept his gaze on the setting sun and sighed at how things were going so far. "Just one more to go… I wonder how hard it will be to open it…"

Back with the shinobi, it had been another week for them in comparison to Aang's single day. Naruto was currently sitting perfectly still on his stone tablet that was balanced on a stone spike high above ground. Mai was wobbling slightly as she tried to get herself balanced, which made Naruto smile warmly. Seeing her like this reminded him of when he was in her position. He inwardly chuckled at all of the bumps he had received courtesy of Fukusaku-sensei. _'Still, his teachings paid off in the end and I'm glad to have known him.'_

He was brought out of his thoughts when he heard his student sigh in relief and close her eyes in mediation. He took note of how still her tablet was and his smile grew. She was so close to reaching her goal. It wouldn't be long now.

Back with Aang and Pathik, they were situated on the highest rooftop under the starry sky. "This is it, Aang. The final chakra, and undoubtedly the most difficult. Are you ready?"

Aang nodded. "I'll do whatever it takes."

"Very well then. The seventh chakra is the Thought Chakra, located at the crown of the head. It deals with Pure Cosmic Energy, and is blocked by Earthly Attachments. I want you to think of everything that attaches you to this world, Aang." The Avatar nodded as thoughts of Katara and his friends came to his mind. "Now, I want you to let them flow down the creek…forgotten."

"What?!" Aang exclaimed in shock. "Why would I let go of Katara?! I-I love her!"

Pathik looked to him sadly and said, "Learn to let her go, or you will never let the Pure Cosmic Energy flow."

"Why would I choose Cosmic Energy over Katara?" asked Aang in slight annoyance. "Three chakras ago, that was a good thing!"

The guru looked to him sternly at that. "You must learn to let her go! Otherwise you will never be able to master the spiritual aspect of yourself."

"I'm sorry, but I can't let her go."

"Aang, in order to master the Avatar State, you must open _all_ the chakras. Surrender yourself to this task."

Aang looked away sadly before he stood up and began walking away. He turned back to see Pathik looking to him in concern and said, "I need to think this over… It's…a hard decision."

As the AirBender left, Pathik sighed in slight disappointment. "He needs to put the world before himself… It is his duty as the Avatar, after all."

"True, but he is still a child, remember?" a voice called out, making Pathik turn to see Naruto and Mai seated Indian-style.

He smiled to them and asked, "I take it that she was successful?"

Naruto's response was a grin while Mai opened her Sage Eyes to the guru. "Of course she was. She's my student after all," the Uzumaki said with pride, making Mai smile.

"That is wonderful news!" Pathik said happily. "What will you have her do now?"

Naruto held up his right hand and had a _Rasengan_ form in it before it started to suck in wind and take on a shuriken shape. "Her final test is to take the _Rasengan_ and make it her own. When she does that, then I will have nothing more to truly teach her. She'll be a fully recognized kunoichi in my eyes."

Pathik nodded and asked, "Do you still wish to open your Spiritual Chakras?" At the Uzumaki's nod, the guru smiled and stated, "Then let us begin. Open your mind and look for your Earth Chakra, located at the base of the spine. It deals with Willpower and is blocked by Fear…"

Naruto sat in his meditative position and allowed his mind to open up and search for his fear. When the vision of Juubi came to mind, he mentally sighed and thought, _'This may take a while…'_

(End)

And that was chapter sixteen! I hope you guys enjoyed this chapter and the future chapters to come! If you have any questions or concerns, PM me!

Now please: Review! Review! Review!

Next Time: Naruto goes down the path of Spiritual Enlightenment while Aang tries to come to terms with his duty to the world! Meanwhile, Ozai begins making plans against Ba-Sing Sei! Stay Tuned!

-pain17ification


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